Remember Me as I Remember You
by Keyote
Summary: As Ruby prepares for the journey to Haven, she finds her old treasure box and with it, childhood memories long forgotten. And from these memories, a deeper connection to one of her closest friends.
1. Ruby's Memories

**RWBY is owned by Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth**

 **RWBY**

 **Remember Me as I Remember You**

A few days had passed since Ruby had awoken following the events at Beacon that led to her team being broken up, the deaths of both Penny and Pyrrha, and her learning from uncle Qrow that she might have some sort of great power sleeping within her.

She had checked in on Yang, wanting to see if her sister was doing OK. Their talk could have ended on a higher note. Yang was depressed, she knew that much. The loss of her arm, Blake seemingly abandoning them, and all the other stuff added to that had left her no longer caring about anything.

Most of her time following had seen Ruby keeping herself locked up inside her room, recalling all that had happened and wondering if there hadn't been more she could do. It had be in the evening hours when she realized she hadn't asked about Jaune, Nora, and Ren. Where were they? Were they alright?

She had pulled out her Scroll and looked at it, bringing up Jaune's number on her contact page. Despite the CTT being down, she was sure she'd still be able to contact him as they did live on the same kingdom, assuming he was still within Vale's territory that is. As she goes to hit the call button, she stops as she recalls the last time she had heard from him.

Guilt begins to build up in her. He had asked her to save Pyrrha, her and Weiss. They had promised they would. A promise she had failed to keep. What could she say to him now? Was he angry at her? Did he even want to speak with her now? She shakes her head, telling herself she was being silly. Jaune wasn't the kind of person to act like that. They were friends, each others first friend at Beacon. There was no way he would hate her. She goes to tap call again and again, stops. The doubt just wouldn't leave her added to the fact he hadn't yet tried to contact her as far as she knew. Letting out an annoyed sigh, she closes her Scroll and places it down before rolling onto her side to get some sleep. She'd call him tomorrow, for sure...

Or not. After waking the next morning and having breakfast, she had tried to call him again but like the night before, doubt and uncertainty stayed her hand. She wanted to scream at that. Instead, she decides to distract herself and hope she could find her courage to call him later. Besides, if she was going to go to Haven, she needed to get herself prepared. She looks around her room, trying to find anything she felt she might need for the journey. After checking her dresser, she decides to look inside her closet. She digs around, tossing things out when her eyes spot a chest shoved into the back. Curious, she wrestles with it till she was able to pull it out.

"Wait...this is...it's my old treasure box" said Ruby, trying to get the lid to open but it refused to budge. Obviously, it was locked to keep its contents secret from others, namely Yang. "Now where did I put that key?" she wondered aloud as she stands. She had hidden the key away in order to keep Yang, and anyone else for that matter, from taking a peek inside as the contents of the chest were important to her. Her precious memories one could say.

She looks and looks but can't find it anywhere. She was starting to become annoyed and was even considering using Crescent Rose to slice the thing open, though she feared damaging the items within. She was just about to take the risk till her eyes fall on a simple picture next to her bed, one of her mother holding her when she was still a newborn. She then remembers.

Moving over to the picture, she takes a second to look at it and smiles sadly, a longing to see her mother again rising up within her. She shakes that feeling away then turns the frame around, opening it. Inside, between the frame and picture, was the key. "Thanks for keeping it safe, mom" she says before closing the frame and returning to the chest, unlocking it, and opening the lid.

There wasn't much inside. Baby clothes, her old red blanket which looked like rose petals sewn together. Her favorite stuffed toy, Mr. Wolfie, which she hugs after pulling out, and several other little things. At the bottom, she sees it, an orange colored scarf and under it several pieces of paper with crayon made drawings on it. Pulling the pictures out first, she sees drawings of herself and Yang as children playing. Another was of her dad and Uncle Qrow having a staring contest, or so she assumed. And then she reveals a picture that confused her, one of her and a boy wearing the orange scarf holding toy swords in hand. Who was the boy though? He looked familiar to her somehow.

 _'Wait...he looks like Jaune...?'_

Ruby takes a closer look. Indeed, the boy did have a resemblance to Jaune or what Ruby assumed Jaune might have looked like as a child. He even had Jaune's symbol on the left breast of his black hoody. She then places the picture down and examines the orange scarf, finding the same symbol decorating both ends. "This...this is Jaune's. But why do I have it?"

Immediately, she drops the scarf as her hands go to her head. A sharp pain had suddenly comes over her and with it, images began to race through her thoughts. Then, just as quickly as it had begun, it stopped. Ruby took several deep breaths before picking up the scarf and wrapping it around her neck though she wasn't sure why she did that. She then sees a photo, one of her, Yang, and Jaune at a fair ground. They were all kids; Ruby was smiling, Yang had an annoyed look on her face, and Jaune had a smirk on his. She turns the picture over, seeing a date written on the back.

"This was taken...10 years ago..." At those words, memories begin to surface. "I...I remember..."

 _ **(Flashback 1 begins...)**_

The sun was shinning down as Ruby, 5 years old, entered the Patch fair grounds. She was walking beside her sister, 7 year old Yang who was holding her hand. And a few feet ahead of them was their father, Taiyang.

"Things seem a bit more lively this year than last year" said Yang.

"Well, this is an anniversary year, my little dragon" says Taiyang, coming to a stop then turning back to his daughters. He kneels down to be at eye level with them. "The fair this year is celebrating the 100th year founding of Patch, our home."

"Wow, that's really old sounding" said Ruby, her whole face in awe of the number.

Taiyang reaches out and ruffle her hair, making Ruby giggle. "That it is, my little rose. That it is." After a pause, he stands and says "So, I'm going to go see if I can find my old friend and his son. You two are free to wander around for now though I'll need you both to meet me outside the fun house by 10am. Yang, you remember to bring your watch?"

Ruby looks at her sister who holds her left wrist out and up for Taiyang to see. "Yep, got it right here."

Taiyang nods before turning around and walking off. "Remember, 10 am girls. And I'm sure you'll like the Arc's. They're a good people and I'm sure you two will become fast friends with the son."

"Dad, that's gross" yells Yang though Ruby didn't understand why. "Boys are icky and gross and I'll never have anything to do with them."

Ruby wasn't sure, but she thinks she hears her dad say "That'll be a load off my mind when you get older then." Anyways, she looks to Yang and ask "Why are boys icky and gross?"

"They just are, Ruby. You're just to young to understand now. Well, lets go try to have some fun while we can, before we have to hang with the weirdo."

Yang led Ruby around the fair grounds and Yang was quick to point out how much bigger it was than compared to the previous years, with more stands and more rides than normal. They soon came to a stop outside the 'tea cup' ride. "Can we ride this one, Yang? It looks fun."

"Tell that to him" says Yang, pointing a finger so Ruby could see who she was talking about.

As people got off the ride, there was one boy who looked to be the same age as Yang that was stumbling around, like he was dizzy. He had on black shoes, blue knee length shorts, a black hoody with a green back pack, an orange scarf, and short sandy blonde hair.

"...ulp, I think I'm gonna be sick..." he grumbles as he passes them, moving on a bit till he reached the side of another stand before falling to his knees, making retching sounds.

"Now that's a sad sight if ever there was one" joked Yang. "Just a little spinning makes him all weak in the knees. I sure hope dad's friends son isn't such a wimp."

Ruby, wanting to sound cool to her sister, says "Can't be any worse than pukey over there."

"That's the truth" says Yang, giving her a pat on the head. She then looks at her watch then says "Well, if you want to ride the tea cups, we better hurry on. We're losing free time just standing here."

After the ride was down, which Ruby had demanded go faster, the sisters wandered around some more till Yang said it was time for them to go find the fun house. "Wait, Yang..." says Ruby, breaking free of Yang's hold as she runs over to a flower she had seen growing by another stand. She leans down and takes in a deep breath of the flower.

"Wow, it smells nice...ah...ah...AH..." Ruby could feel a sneeze building up because of the flower.

"Ruby, we need to get going or else dad will be mad" says Yang, walking over to Ruby and placing a hand on her shoulder. Ruby stands, turns back to her sister, then sneezes a might sneeze, getting plenty of snot on Yang's clothing.

"GAH, that's gross Ruby. Disgusting..." cries Yang before screaming she needed a towel.

"Ah, I'm sorry Yang. I couldn't hold it in" cries Ruby.

"Just stay here. I need to find a bathroom or something" yells Yang before running off. Ruby tries to follow but her shorter legs couldn't keep up and Yang quickly faded from view. Now alone, Ruby backs up to the flower then falls back onto the ground. Looks like she needed to stay here to Yang came back. She closes her eyes and hopes Yang wouldn't still be mad at her when she gets back.

After a few moments, Ruby feels a shadow come over her, making her open her eyes. Standing over her was a boy, the same boy she and Yang had seen earlier. "Looks like you're having fun." He then holds out a hand to her and says "I'm Jaune."

Ruby looks away for a second then looks back at him. "I'm Ruby" she says, giving him a smile while taking his hand. After he helped her back onto her feet, she giggles then ask "Aren't you that pukey kid from earlier?"

"Pukey? Wait, you're one of the girls I stumbled past before." He then sighs and blushes in embarrassment, adding "I see you like giving people weird nicknames before a proper meet and greet."

"Sorry, but pukey was the first thing that came to mind when I saw that" said Ruby.

"Well, how'd you like it if I called you snot girl?"

Now it was Ruby's turn to blush as she says "That wasn't my fault. It was the flower's fault."

"If you say so..."

"Ruby" yells Yang as she comes running back into view. She then sees Jaune and her face furrows. "Who the heck are you? Are you trying to hurt my baby sister 'cause if you are..."

"Wait, Yang. Pukey...I mean, Jaune here isn't trying to hurt me. He was just keeping me company while I waited on you" says Ruby.

"Really...wait, pukey?" says Yang, giving Jaune a closer look. "Hey, aren't you the dizzy boy who couldn't even handle the tea cups?"

"That wasn't my fault" yells Jaune defensively. "Motion sickness is a very real problem for many people in this world. I like to think I do my best dealing with it."

"Right, if you say so" says Yang, brushing one of her golden pigtails behind her shoulders. "Anyways, I'm Yang and you've seemingly already met my little sister, Ruby."

"I'm Jaune. Name's short, sweet, and easy to remember...according to my mom anyways."

"Right...anyways, we need to get going" says Yang, taking hold of Ruby's hand. "We need to go meet up with our dad right now...so, see you around...or NOT." As Yang goes to lead Ruby away, Jaune speaks up.

"Before you go, mind telling me where the fun house is at around here?"

Yang stops and looks back at him with a wary look. "Why?"

"Because I'm suppose to meet up with my dad there so he can introduce me to his friend and his friends kids."

Yang goes wide eyed as she shakes her head. "No way, you can't be...your last name can't be..."

"My last name? Oh, it's Arc" says Jaune.

"Hey big sister, does that mean he's the son of daddy's friend?" asked Ruby.

"YOU'RE HIM? YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?" screams Yang, her voice being heard all over the fair grounds.

Soon after, the three kids approach the fun house, seeing Taiyang talking to a man with shoulder length golden hair, dressed in a long sleeved gray colored tunic and black pants. "Hey dad, we're here" says Yang though her tone was anything but positive.

Taiyang turns and gives them a look both girls knew well, an exasperated look. "There you are, girls. I thought I said to be here by 10." Taiyang then notices they weren't alone. "Who that with you? Is that your boy, Joseph?"

The man, clearly Jaune's father as, apart from the hair style and beard, looked to be an older Jaune. "That's right, my pride and joy. Well, step forward and introduce yourself, son."

Jaune does as asked and bows. "Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you sir" he says to Taiyang.

"And you as well, young man" says Taiyang. He then looks back at Joseph and says "I can see what you mean now. So young yet I can already tell he'll become a great knight one day."

Ruby doesn't fail to see Jaune's face as he looks away from the adults, his face less than agreeing with those words. She looks to Yang and wonders if her sister had noticed it too.

"Yes, he will" says Joseph before looking back at his son and adds "I just wish he took his training more seriously though."

"Kids will be kids you know" says Taiyang. "Anyways, how did you find him girls?"

Yang then told the dads how they had met, much to Jaune's annoyance. Hearing about Jaune getting dizzy enough to puke had made Taiyang laugh hard. "That reminds me of you, Jo."

"Except in my case it was a fear of heights that could do me in" says Joseph before sighing. "Seems that is the one curse we Arc men must suffer, something out there we can't handle that makes us sick to our stomachs."

"Anyways, lets go get a bite to eat. We can relate stories of our youth to the little ones here" says Taiyang. Joseph nods as they lead the kids towards the food court.

Jaune reaches out and taps Yang on the shoulder, making her look at him. He leans in closer, making Yang repeat his action while Ruby also gets closer to hear them talk.

"This is bad. Our dad's are going to talk about their youths. Be prepared for embarrassment."

Yang nods in agreement. "I was afraid of that. Don't worry though, I have an exit strategy in mind,"

"An escape plan, huh? I can get behind that." Jaune then looks at their dad's then back at Yang. "So what's the plan? You know this place better than I do." 

Yang thinks for a moment, then says "OK, if things get to embarrassing, we'll sneak away when they're distracted and make a break for the nearest port. If we run fast enough, and with a little luck, we can be on the next Bullhead to Atlas in an hour. Two tops."

Jaune gives her a nod, saying "Sounds like a plan." Yang nods as well before they pull away.

Ruby smiles, glad to see they were becoming friends even if they didn't realize it. She then turns towards her father and Jaune's dad and says "Hey dad, big sis and pukey are planning on running away together." Her words make Yang and Jaune freeze in their tracks, both turning bone white.

The father's look back and Joseph laughs. "Ah, so young and have only just met yet already planning on eloping. Young love..."

Taiyang, on the other hand, wasn't quite as infused by this. "Over MY DEAD BODY. No way am I going to let my little girl, either of them, run off and do something like THAT. No matter what age they are."

Ruby just giggles as Yang and Jaune both declare they would never do that ever.

Jaune warning ended up coming true. Both he and Yang had ended up being more embarrassed than not as their dads talked about the past. The missions that Team STRQ and Team JSTC went on together and the chaos they'd cause. Ruby ended up being the most interested in the tales and asking the most questions. Once lunch had finished, Taiyang and Joseph told the kids to go wander around some more while they went to take care of some business. They'd meet back at the entrance by 3pm.

Once the dad's had gone, Jaune slumps down and says "Finally, the nightmare is over."

"Not over, just taking a short respite" points out Yang. "We'll probably have to endure more once we meet up with them." After a pause, both Yang and Jaune let out a depressed sigh.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Jaune.

"Guess we can run around and ride some of the rides" says Yang.

"Hey Jaune?" Jaune and Yang look at the younger girl who ask "Why did you look annoyed when your dad talked about you becoming a knight?"

"Shouldn't he have said Huntsman?" adds Yang.

"He did though my family prefer the term Knight over Huntsman due to our lineage" he says to Yang, then looks at Ruby and says "Its because it annoys me that he, as well as everyone else in my family, just assumes I want to become a Knight. They don't seem to care about what it is I want to do with my life? Have either of you ever had to deal with that with your family?"

"Not really" says Yang. "Our dad's just a really laid back guy."

"Yeah, he's really fun" adds Ruby.

"Lucky you two, I guess" says Jaune, his mood becoming more gloomy. Yang then walks over to him and throws an arm over his shoulder, making him mirror her earlier action when he had done that to her by leaning away.

"Anyways, come on pukey. Let's see if we can turn that frown upside down" says Yang, getting a yeah from Ruby. Jaune nods as the three of them walk back to the fun house. It would make a good starting point.

 _ **(flashback 1 ends)**_

"I...I remember..."

She reaches up with one hand and touches the scarf. This was indeed Jaune's though she wasn't sure why she had it. Getting up quickly, she runs over to her school pack and rummages through it, finding a note book she had bought right before the Vytal Festival had begun for school work though she never actually got the chance to use it. She would use it now, though not for school work, but to record what she had remembered just in case she were to forget these memories again. Not that she planned to that was but it never hurt to play it safe.

Every word she could remember, every detail that had happened, she jotted down. Once she was finished, she reread through it to make sure she hadn't left anything out that she could still recall. As she read, she couldn't help but notice the similarities between what had happened back then and what had happened her first day at Beacon.

Jaune had become sick in both instances due to suffering from motion sickness though he had managed to avoid getting anything on Yang that first time.

Yang had left her alone and she had suffered a powerful sneeze, though the fair saw the sneeze being what resulted in Yang running off for a few minutes instead of it happening after she had run off.

Jaune had appeared over her and helped her up like before though the name introductions happened a little differently between the two events. They had even given each other silly nicknames both times; different yet very similar. Pukey to Vomit Boy and Snot Girl to Crater Face. Ruby couldn't help but giggle at that.

There were a few things those memories had that surprised her though. One was Jaune's personality was quite different. He seemed more moody than his future dorky self which she actually liked. And Yang was an even bigger surprise with how NOT interested in boys she was, actually seemingly being against the very idea of boys though she seemed to tolerate Jaune after a bit. A stark contrast to how she was now, being very interested in boys. It just goes to show how much kids could change as they became teenagers.

Closing the note book for now, she wondered if anything else had happened that day? She was sure something must have happened but couldn't remember it. Not yet anyways. Leaving her room with both the note book and scarf in hand, she heads to Yang's room to see if she would recall anything.

"Hey Yang, can I come in?" asked Ruby, opening the door slightly.

There was a momentary silence before Yang replied "Sure, need something?"

Ruby walks into the room and grabs a nearby chair so she could sit by the bed. She then hands Yang the scarf, asking "Does this look familiar to you in any way?"

Yang examines the scarf for a few seconds. "Can't say that it does. Why do you ask?"

"Look at the ends" says Ruby.

Yang does so and sees the two crescent moons sewn into the fabric. "...say, isn't that Vomit Boy's symbol?" asked Yang as she looks at Ruby who nods. Yang actually smiles, then says "Well, well, well, why does my baby sister have something like this? Is there something you're wanting to tell me?"

It takes a moment for Ruby to get the implication in Yang's words and her cheeks go pink as she quickly stutters out "No, no, no, it's not like that. I...I found that in my treasure box a few minutes ago when I decided to go through it for the memories."

Yang still keeps her grin as she says "Then why would that be in there then, I wonder? Hmm?" Yang the thinks about it before saying "Actually, that's a good question. Why is something of HIS in your treasure box? Did you do it when you came to visit dad before the Vytal Festival?"

Ruby shakes her head then says "No, I didn't even remember having a treasure box till I was rummaging through my closet earlier, looking for things I..." Ruby realizes she was about to blurt out her plans to leave without their dad knowing so she could go to Haven. "...I was just looking around to pass the time. When I found it and some pictures I had drawn, I was surprised to see Jaune's family symbol on the scarf and him, me, and you in the pictures I had drawn. Then, while I was holding the scarf and looking at a photo, I remembered the day we met him for the FIRST time."

"Well lucky you then" says Yang. "I can't recall ever meeting Vomit Boy before that day we all arrived at Beacon."

"Well, maybe if I tell you what I remember, you'll remember it too" says Ruby.

"Well, I guess its worth a shot" agreed Yang. Ruby opens the note book and begins reading what she had written down to Yang. As she heard Ruby recount the memory, Yang did find herself beginning to remember that day. She even added a few bits she recalled from her own perspective that made Ruby laugh.

"...and then the three of us went off to have more fun at the fair while dad and Mr. Arc went off to do whatever it was they were doing" says Ruby as she closes the book. "That's all I can remember for now."

"Hmm?" says Yang, closing her eyes and thinking hard. "I can't recall to much now myself but I think me and Jaune made a bet with each other when it came to the carnival games. That's right, we agreed that if I won, he'd have to get down on all fours and act like a dog till we had to go meet up with our dads and if he won, I'd..."

"Yang?" asked Ruby as her sister suddenly looks away.

"No, nothing. Never mind. It's not important" says Yang, sounding flustered.

Ruby leans to the side, see her sisters cheeks had turned a bright red color. Clearly, she was embarrassed about something. It must be about her end of the bet. But what could it... Ruby grins, asking "You bet you'd kiss him didn't you?"

Yang turns back to look at her, cheeks now a bright pink and her eyes wide with shock. "How did...I mean, don't be silly, Ruby. I would never had made such a bet back then. Boys were gross and stupid as far as I was concerned."

"Right, I believe you, sis" says Ruby, smiling proudly. _'Wait till Weiss and Blake hear about this one'_ she thought though she quickly feels down. Would they ever get to hear about this? Would she even see them again? That wasn't a thought she was ready to deal with right now.

"I wonder why I can't recall more of what happened that day?" says Ruby to herself, getting her head back to more immediate matters.

"What made you recall that much, sis?" asked Yang.

"When I touched Jaune's scarf, it felt like something buried deep inside my head was knocked loose and a bunch of images flashed through my head then when I looked at a photo of us at the fair, these memories returned."

"Then you likely need something else to help stimulate your lost memories even more to bring more out to the surface, just like how the scarf did for you" says Yang.

"But what? Do you remember something that can help me?" asked Ruby.

Yang shakes her head, saying "Nothing apart from you yourself remember and that little bet me and Jaune had going on. Speaking of, we never got to determine who the winner was."

"Huh? Why not?" asked Ruby.

Yang was quiet for a second before she spoke. "Well, it was because as we were going to play a final game, to break the tie between us, we realized something was missing. YOU..."

An hour later, Ruby had gotten dressed and gone for a walk outside. She hoped the autumn air would help her remember more about that day. Her thoughts played back to her what Yang had said, that she had gone missing while Jaune and her hand been focused on their competition. But why had she gone missing? What would make her just wander off like that? Something like that just wasn't like her and she doubted anyone from Patch would try to kidnap her either, not with having the father and uncle she had.

The sound of children laughing nearby draws her from her thoughts. Looking to them, she saw the kids playing around with kites which made her smile. She could remember her and Yang doing that one time with their dad. Uncle Qrow had joined in though he had been unable to get a kite airborne, much to the two girls amusement.

But her mind went blank as she saw the kite of one of the kids rise into the air; a kite the resembled a blue colored Butterfly. As she looked at it, she couldn't help but feel it was familiar somehow. And then it came flooding back. She remembered why she had wandered off. While Yang and Jaune had been busy in their competition, she had spotted a rare Blue Dust Butterfly, so named as it's wings glowed a lite blue and with each flap of its wings, it gave off blue powder that made her think of fairy dust from some old fairy tails. Entranced by the sight, she began to follow it in her child like wonder, soon leaving the fair grounds and entering the nearby woods.

"So that's what happened" she says, smiling a little at the memory. She then walked over to a nearby tree and sat back against it before pulling her note book out of her coat and began to write down more of her returned memories.

 _ **(flash back 2)**_

Little Ruby was laying on the ground, crying hard following her fall down the very steep hill she had fallen into after she had lost sight of the Blue Dust and had started wandering around, scared and afraid, as she had no idea where she was or how to get back. It had been because of her not paying attention, and a sudden sound that had scared her into running, that had led her to tripping on an exposed tree root and taking the painful fall. Even worse was the fact her left leg was hurting especially bad around her ankle.

" _sniff..._ daddy...sister... _sniff_ mommy...please someone..." she whimpered as her tears rained down on the ground and she sobbed even harder. She didn't want to be hear anymore, she wanted to go back home.

Another sound, the caw of a bird, makes her freeze for a moment. She then begins to shake while she rolls into a ball though she had trouble with her left leg. Her heart was racing from the fright and she began to see images of evil beast coming and eating her just like in some of the fairy tales Yang had read to her, except there would be no hero to save her...or so she thought.

"Hey, Ruby?" comes a voice, a familiar voice. She stops shaking a little as her head looks up. She sniffles as she hears "Answer me, little red..."

"...pukey?" she says. Was that really him? She hears his voice yelling for her again, making her cry out as loudly as she could "PUKEY, PUKEY, PUKEY."

"Hold on" he shouts. "I'll find you WHOA" he yelps , making Ruby wonder what had happened.

She didn't need to wonder long as she sees him come rolling down the hill, in a rather comedic way; spinning like a pin wheel before coming to a stop a few feet away from her. His head and upper back were resting on the ground while his body curved up and around so his feet were dangling over his face.

"...Pukey...?" she asked, momentarily forgetting the pain and fear she had been feeling.

"Ow, I stumbled, I tumbled, and ended as a roll..." he grumbles as his head turns to look at Ruby. Seeing her makes him forget all about his discomfort as he allows his body to role so he was laying fully on the ground. He then quickly gets back onto his feet, stopping only for a moment to groan before rushing over to Ruby's side though one hand took a moment to rub his sore back as he moved.

"Hey, you OK, little red?" he asked her while reaching his hand out to her. Ruby took his hand and allowed him to pull her to him before hugging him tightly while crying into his shoulder.

"I...I...I was so... _sniff_ scared. I thought I was..." sobbed Ruby.

Jaune knew he needed to calm her down. Luckily, having seven sister had taught him a lot on how to deal with situations like this. He hugged her back and while rubbing her back to comfort her. He also said comforting words to her as well. After several minutes, Ruby had finally calmed down and Jaune broke the hug.

"Why'd you run off, little red? You had your sister freaking out, to say nothing of me."

"I'm sorry, I saw a Blue Dust and I couldn't help but follow it and...and" Ruby was on the verge of crying again until Jaune hugged her once more.

"There there, it's fine. I'm here now so there's no need for the wet works, little red" said Jaune.

"Little red?" asked Ruby.

"I thought you'd like a better nickname than snot girl. Plus, you're wearing that read cape and all."

Ruby thought about it and found she did like that nickname better than snot girl. "Where's my sister?"

"You mean, Goldilocks? I left her back at the fair grounds so she could find our dads and tell them what happened. She wanted to come find you herself but I managed to convince her to let me look for you as my dad has trained me in tracking. _Sigh_ Never actually thought I would be happy about that."

After a moment, Jaune ask "Are you alright? Are you hurting anywhere?"

"My leg." Ruby then looks to her left leg, making Jaune nod as he lets go of her and moves down to her feet, removing the shoe and sock carefully from her left leg. As Jaune places a hand on her swollen ankle, she releases a sharp breath.

"Yep, twisted ankle" he says, then mumbles to himself "Why hasn't her Aura..." Ruby heard him despite his low voice. Jaune then shakes his head as he pulls his orange scarf off and begins to wrap it around her ankle. "This should make it feel a little better" he says as he tightens the knot.

"Feeling any better?" he asked. Ruby nods before a gurgling sound is heard.

"My tummies all growly now" she says.

Jaune laughs, making her cheeks go red from embarrassment. "After all you scarfed down during lunch. Well, my mom always tells me a healthy appetite leads to a healthy body. Hold on, I think I have some snacks in here somewhere."

Jaune pulls his pack off and begins to rummage through it while Ruby looks at him for a moment then at his scarf wrapped around her ankle. She then reaches out and touches it, thinking _'...it feels warm...'_

She then turns her attention to Jaune as he pulls a few items from his pack. She saw a metal cylinder, a few weird looking fireworks or so she assumed them to be fireworks, some goggles...

"Ah, here we are" he says. "I don't have much but I hope you'll like them..." He then pulls out a plastic bag filled with cookies. At the sight of them, her eyes go wide as her stomach makes a rather large growling sound.

"Are those cookies?" she asked.

"Yep, Arc Delight Cookies to be exact. A long standing family recipe and world famous or so I'm told" says Jaune, pride present in his boasting. He opens the back and pulls one for himself out before handing the bag to Ruby who could see seven more waiting within. "Eat as many as you want."

"Thank you" says Ruby, now feeling a million times better. She then begins to eat the cookies with a speed that would make one think she hadn't eaten in days. Jaune was actually finding it to be rather scary. "Guess she was really hungry" he said before going to take a bite from his cookie.

Of course, instead of a cookie, the only thing he could taste was his own fingers which makes him yelp when his teeth bite down to hard. Blinking, he sees the cookie had vanished and looks to Ruby as she downs the last cookie, his cookie, before burping rather loudly then falling back onto her back with a blissful smile. "Those are so good" she says before sitting back up. "Do you have any more?"

Jaune looks at her with a deadpan expression. "You can't be real?"

Ruby ignores his remark, instead asking "Can I go home now?"

Jaune sighs before getting up and walking over to the steep hill they had both fallen from. He looks up and she hears him say "I'm guessing maybe around fifty feet and the curve is to steep for me to climb even if I was alone to say nothing of carrying little red." He then looks to his right then left. "Goes on as far as I can see from either side too." He then turns back and walks over to Ruby, sitting down beside her.

"I'd like to get you back home as soon as possible but wandering around won't do either of us any good. Besides..." He looks up to the sky and Ruby follows suit. "We were suppose to meet up with our dads by 3pm. It's already past three, I'm sure of it so Goldilocks must have met up with them. Knowing my dad and how quickly he's always been able to find me in our games of hide and seek back home, it would be for the best if we stay here for now and wait for them to find us."

"Will it take them long?" asked Ruby.

Jaune shakes his head. "They'll probably find us any second now..."

For the next while, Jaune does his best to keep Ruby entertained so as to take her mind off things, mainly her ankle. He tells her stories from back home involving him and his sisters, stories he had sworn he'd never tell anyone because of just how embarrassing they were. But, he was willing to make an exception for Ruby. Hearing her laugh made him feel it was worth it.

"Tell me more, pukey" she asked.

"You know I have a proper name. You don't have to keep calling me pukey. At least give me another nickname."

Ruby thinks about that then says "Make-up boy?"

Jaune blushes before saying "On second thought, I'm fine with pukey."

After a moment, Jaune looks up at the sky, noting the sun was beginning to set based on the color of the sky. "What's taking them so long? Dad's never taken this long to find me."

"They're not coming for us?" asked Ruby, her voice sounding worried.

"Of course they are" says Jaune reassuringly. Wanting to get her mind off it, he ask "So, is your leg feeling any better?"

Ruby shakes her head, saying "Still hurts."

"That's weird" says Jaune, his right hand coming to rest on his chin. "Even if she has a low Aura level, it surely should have healed her leg by now."

"What's an Aura?" asked Ruby, making Jaune blink is surprise.

"Wait, you mean you don't know?" he asked her. Ruby shakes her head. After a second, Jaune ask "Little red, just how old are you anyways?"

"I'm five and a half" said Ruby.

"Why didn't I think of that sooner. Kids usually don't get their Aura's unlocked until at least their sixth birthdays" mumbles Jaune. He then moves himself closer to Ruby.

"OK then, I'm going to release your Aura. Once your Aura is fully awakened, that booboo of yours should hopefully go right away and you'll find yourself becoming stronger" said Jaune.

"Will it hurt?" asked Ruby.

Jaune shakes his head, saying "Didn't when I had my Aura unlocked by my dad so it shouldn't hurt you. Are you ready?" Ruby nods as Jaune reaches out and places one hand on her cheek and the other over her heart. After a second, Ruby feels something warm and soothing flow into her body at the spots Jaune was touching her. "Let's see if I remember the words" he says before closing his eyes.

 _For it is in passing that we achieve immortality_

 _Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all_

 _Infinite in distance and unbound by death,_

 _I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee_

Ruby feels it suddenly, like a burst of light from deep within her arise and fill her whole being. She wasn't sure what it was she was feeling but it felt...right. Like she was a more completed Ruby Rose. She opens her eyes, having closed them when Jaune started the chant, and looks at herself, seeing a faint red light shining from her, especially bright from beneath the scarf. The pain she had been feeling earlier was now gone as well.

"Wow, that was...pukey?"

Ruby became concerned as Jaune's eyes looked distant before he collapses forward though he stops himself before falling onto Ruby. "Pukey, Pukey? Jaune..."

He cracks a smile, then says "So, you can say my name after all, little red."

Ruby huffs while puffing her cheeks out. "That wasn't very funny."

"I wasn't trying to be funny" admits Jaune as he rights himself. "Sorry, I forgot to tell you. Releasing someone's Aura can cause the releaser, me in this case, to have a moment where we'll fade out. Still, you surprised me."

"I did?" asked Ruby.

"Yeah, you have an incredibly high Aura count. It might even be higher than what I have and my dad told me I was well above the average for a person where Aura's are concerned. Heck, with the right training, you could definitely become a Huntress worthy of being like those heroes in fairy tales."

"But how can I be like the heroes in fairy tales. They're all boys and I'm just a girl" says Ruby.

Jaune just smiles at her while placing a hand on her shoulder. "So you think just because you're a girl means you can't be a hero? That you'd have to settle for just being some damsel in distress? Silly little red, that doesn't mean squat. There are plenty of girls in the world today who serve as Huntress's that are so strong they make us guys look weak. I hear your mom was a shining example of a Huntress and what girls can do."

Jaune stands and looks up at the sky. "You may not be able to see it in yourself now, but I'm sure you'll one day see what I can see." He then holds his hand out to her.

"What do you see?" asked Ruby, taking his hand and being helped up.

"A hero in the making. That is a clear to me as your cute eyes...I meant cool, your eyes are cool" says Jaune, a heavy blush on his cheeks from telling her he found her eyes cute. Ruby also blushes a little as she looks away bashfully.

"Thank you. That was really kind of you to say" she says, looking back at him.

"Yeah..." he says before shaking his head. "Anyways, is your leg feeling better now?"

Ruby puts weight onto her left leg then says "Still feels a little sore but I can stand on it now without feeling any pain." She then leans down and pulls the scarf off and hands it back to Jaune. "Thank you for this" she says.

Jaune takes the scarf back and wraps it back around his neck. "Anytime." After a pause, Jaune says "We'll give our dads a few more minutes. If they don't show up soon we'll start trying to find our way back."

Ruby nods in agreement to this but a sudden growl makes her jump, then hug Jaune from the sudden sound. "What was that?" she asked, her voice trembling as they both hear rustling from the foliage and footsteps impacting hard into the ground.

"This isn't good" says Jaune, bending down enough to scoop up his back pack and pulls the metal cylinder out. As a dark form emerges for them to see, Jaune clenches his fist and grits his teeth at the sight while Ruby hugs him even tighter, her eyes wide with fear. "Grimm..."

 _ **(flashback pause)**_

Ruby takes a moment to think but finds she couldn't recall anything more yet. Closing the note book, she stands up and looks off into the distance. "So close..." she says, knowing she was very close to remembering everything about that time. She just needed one final push to bring the rest to light.

Returning home, she finds Yang asleep and no sign of their father. Looking around, she sees a note on the table, telling her he had to go to Signal for an emergency meeting and he wouldn't be home till late so don't worry about making him any dinner. He'd just get some take out to eat.

Being quiet so as to not wake her sister, Ruby made her way back to her room and looked at the contents of her treasure box again though nothing there triggered the last of the buried memory's. Even Jaune's old scarf, which she was still wearing, didn't seem to work any magic now.

She looked through the rest of the room, even going through some of Yang's old stuff to see if anything she had might do the trick but again, nothing was triggered. She looked around the house, looking and touching everything she saw but nothing happened. She finally lets out a sigh as she collapses into a chair. "Maybe I was just lucky to remember what I have." She wondered if she should just give up or maybe she should call Jaune? Maybe talking to him would trigger the remaining memories.

She gets up and goes to head to the kitchen to make herself and Yang some supper when her eyes notice a door she hadn't yet opened for her search. Opening the door, she finds stairs leading downstairs leading to the storage room and basement. Heading down, Ruby sees several weapons hanging from the wall, including her mothers weapon. She walks over and traces her hand over the blade.

"I wish you were still here, mom" she says before looking away. She couldn't see anything note worthy and starts to head back to the stairs when her eyes finally fall on a specific object she had failed to notice before. "Is...is that...Jaune's?" She walks over to the object, a metal cylinder, laying on shelf.

Taking it into her hand, she turns it and says "It is, but why is this here?" She has a hunch and uses her free hand to turn the knob at the bottom of the cylinder which makes the opposite end split in half. She then flicks it through the air, making the blade hidden below the now split top extend out a few inches to reveal it as a short sword.

"I...I remember this, Jaune's training sword..." Her eyes go wide, a tear escaping, as she smiles. "I remember...everything."

 _ **(flashback 3)**_

Jaune couldn't help but step back, pulling Ruby with him as the Grimm came into view, its teeth bare as it lets out a deep growl. Ruby was shaking badly and Jaune knew telling her to not fear it would do little good as he couldn't even convince himself to do that.

Which was pretty bad as the Grimm were drawn to such emotions. The fear they were feeling was drawing in this Grimm like a magnet. But something was clearly wrong though. This Grimm, though obviously of the Beowolf family, didn't look like the average Beowolf for it's body was all black. There was no white bone like armor to be seen anywhere on it.

"An abnormal" he said, making Ruby look at him.

"Ab...normal?" she asked.

Jaune continued to back them up while the Grimm watched them, slowly moving toward them as well. "That's a term to describe Grimm missing the white armor like coverings on their bodies. It's a really rare thing to see. Anyways, quick...get behind me...and be prepared to run."

Ruby does as told. She sees Jaune use his free hand to reach into his hoodies pocket and pulls out a small marble sized ball. "What's that?" she asked.

"Get ready..." Jaune tells her as his thumb presses down hard against a dot on the ball before throwing it at the Grimm. The Abnormal just tilts its head curiously at the act while the ball harmlessly smacks it between the eyes, then burst with an intense, blinding light which makes the Abnormal stumble back, hissing madly while closing its eyes and shaking its head.

"RUN!" yells Jaune, already taking Ruby's hand and as he starts to run. Ruby does as told, her grip on his hand becoming as tight as she could possibly make it. As they run through the forest, they hear the Abnormal's howl and the sound of its feet slamming into the ground as it gives chase.

"I have four more of my little friends" says Jaune, referring to the balls. He then pulls another out with the hand that was holding the metal stick.

"Will we make it?" asked Ruby.

"I...yeah, we will. Of course we will" says Jaune though there was obvious doubt in his voice. "Don't worry, little red. I'll protect you. No matter what."

She believed him. Despite the danger they were in now, she believed him. She glances back as they run, seeing the Abnormal quickly gaining on them. "It's getting closer."

Jaune looks back then forward again as he presses down on the dot on the second ball. He the counts aloud to three before chucking it back behind them. It hits the ground and the Beowulf goes to step on it when it explodes with electricity, shocking the Abnormal which sends it crashing and rolling along the ground, yelping from the pain it was feeling.

"What are those things, pukey?" asked Ruby.

"A little surprise I had planned to show my dad when I had to do my next training session." Jaune then smirks, adding "Funny, never thought I'd be using them for something like this. Well, not yet anyways."

They kept on running though Ruby was starting to slow down. Her legs, being short due to her age and the lack of training (and not having gained her Semblance yet obviously), weren't prepared for this sort of thing. Jaune stops, kneels down quickly, and says "Quick, I'll carry you piggy back style."

Ruby knew this wasn't the time to argue or feel embarrassed so she does as told and Jaune continues running. Behind them, they could hear the angry growl of the Abnormal, likely recovered now and chasing after them again. "How can you keep running so fast while carrying me?"

"It's thanks to my Aura, little red. Our Aura's can not only heal lesser injuries, it can protect us from minor injuries and boost the strength in our arms and legs, letting us run faster, jump higher, and so on." Jaune then jumps into the air, successfully dodging out of the way of the Abnormal's lunge at them. He then spins around and throws ball number three, releasing a series of fire work sparks. Again, the Abnormal backs away though it doesn't stay distracted for long as it was learning these surprises weren't dangerous to it.

"A road" cries Ruby, pointing ahead of them.

Jaune nods as he speeds up, clearing the last of the trees and stepping out onto the dirt covered path. His head looks left then right, trying to decide quickly which way to go. "Go left, pukey" says Ruby. "I know this road. It'll lead us to Patch."

"Works for me" says Jaune, already running down the left path. Unfortunately, the Abnormal jumps out before them, blocking the way.

"Well figs" grumbles Jaune before turning and running the opposite direction, dropping the next ball on the ground. Ruby looks back as it continues to give chase but slips on a path of ice made from the bursting of the ball Jaune had dropped.

"There, head over there" yells Ruby, pointing Jaune in the direction she was wanting him to go. Trusting her better knowledge of the area than his, Jaune does as told. After a few more seconds, he comes to a stop before a slab of marble stone resting near the edge of a hill.

"Uh...why did we come here, little red?" asked Jaune as Ruby forced herself off his back.

"Momma" she cries, running up to the marble slab. Ruby runs to the far side of the slab and kneels down to touch it. "Daddy always said to come here if I was in trouble and couldn't get back home."

Jaune deadpans and says "I really don't think he was meaning for situations like these."

The sound of the Abnormal closing in gets Jaune to turn around just in time to see it arrive and look at him with a vicious glare. It was obvious the thing was mad now. Jaune sighs before tossing the last ball back at Ruby. "If it gets to close or if I tell you to use it, throw it at our "friend" here."

He then uses his right hand to push up the left side sleeve of his hoodie, revealing a bracelet which has a ball attached to it which he taps, making it fold out into a round shield. He then twist the knob on the metal cylinder in his hand, making the opposite end split in half before swishing it through the air to make a sword blade extend out.

"Wow, that's really cool, pukey" yells Ruby.

After a moment, Jaune charges the Abnormal which swings its claws at him. He brings the shield up, blocking the attack though he is sent flying yet manages to land on his feet then charges at the Abnormal again, rolling under the next swipe then stabbing the Grimm's foot, making it howl in pain. Or at least it sounded like it was in pain since no one knew if Abnormal's could feel pain or not? The beast tries for another swipe but Jaune jumps onto the claw then jumps even higher, sending his blade swinging vertical over the Abnormal's left eye, cutting deep and making howl louder than before.

Ruby was getting excited. She cheered for Jaune, thinking he was looking super cool. She didn't understand why he had been so worried before. He was doing great. They would survive this, she knew it. The moment she had that thought, it happened. The Abnormal surprises Jaune with a sudden kick that sends him flying, knocking the training sword he had been using from his hands.

He's sent flying back, hitting the ground hard and flipping till he was on his back. As he tries to get up, Ruby screams as she sees the Abnormal comes to stand over him and with one quick strike, sends its claws slashing into Jaune's back, making hims scream as blood is seen dripping from the Grimm's hand.

"JAUNE" cried Ruby, tears falling from her eyes. She couldn't just sit here and watch him die. He was already doing so much to protect her, save her, and because of that he had just suffered a serious injury.

As the Abnormal does something odd, licking the blood off it's claws, a behavior no Grimm had ever been known to do, Ruby spots Jaune's sword laying on the ground. Her fear of the Grimm momentarily forgotten, she runs over to the weapon and takes it in hand, then turns to face the Abnormal. It's attention was still on Jaune as it prepares to finish off its prey.

 _'I need to do something'_ thinks Ruby, breathing heavily. She knew she was Jaune's only chance to survive. But reality was setting in; just what did she think she could do. She was only a little girl, untrained and powerless. How could SHE possibly SAVE HIM?

" _You may not be able to see it in yourself now, but I'm sure you'll one day see what I can see. A hero in the making."_

Jaune's words ring out in her mind, making her grip on the blade tighten. "...I will save him..." Her voice was a whisper. "...I will save him" she says louder. Her eyes narrow. "I'll save you." She breaks into a run, heading straight at the Abnormal's back. She screams as she subconsciously sends her Aura into her legs, letting her jump high into the air.

"I'LL SAVE YOU, JAUNE!"

Before the Beowolf could react to her scream, she thrust the blade into it's back with all her Aura empowered might, sending the blade in deep enough that the guard touches its black fur. The howl of pain the Abnormal releases made her ears hurt while it savagely jerks its body back and forth, causing her grip on the sword to fail and sending her flying, hitting the ground hard. She tries to get up but her body refuses to move.

The Beowolf tries to reach back to grab and pull the sword out but it had been stabbed into a spot its claws just couldn't reach. Failing, it turns its attention to Ruby, its eyes filled with rage and hate. It moves to stand over her, its fangs bare and its eyes wild. It raises a claw up, ready to kill her with a single swipe. Ruby closes her eyes, praying for something, for someone, to save her.

"STAY AWY FROM HER" roars Jaune.

Ruby waited for the blow to come but it never does. She opens her eyes, shocked at what she sees. The Abnormal was frozen in place. No, not frozen. She could see it trying to move but it was like its body was being restrained by some force. She could just make out a faint light surrounding the Abnormal's body. What was going on, she wondered? She then remembers Jaune had yelled something. Had that done something to the Beowolf.

"Ruby..." she hears him say and looks to see he was crawling towards her as he wasn't able to stand do to his wound. She tears up as he reach's her, saying "...Jaune, I...I tried..."

"I know" he says as he positions himself on top of her. He gives her a smile, saying "You were amazing, Ruby. Just like those heroes in fairy tales." A growl makes them both look back at the Abnormal. It was now able to move again and it was raising its claws, now planning on killing them both with its next swipe.

"Jaune..." she cries as he does his best to cover her, to protect her.

"I'll protect you..." he pants out, his words barely above a whisper and filled with pain. "I swear...I'll always protect you..."

"Jaune" she says again, her arms hugging him. "Me to...I'll protect you too."

The Beowolf's claws strike downward but it never hits them. Instead, its arm is sent flying, making it bellow while turning its body. Looking beyond the Abnormal, Ruby sees Jaune's father, his sword drawn and a look that made her heart freeze.

"YOU WON'T TOUCH THEM" he said, his voice low and dangerous. He was far enough away that his sword couldn't have hit physically. The fact the Abnormal's arm had been sliced off was a testament to just how powerful Joseph's swing had been.

The Abnormal goes to charge Joseph but Taiyang appears before it, his features equally as dark as Joseph's had been. He doesn't say a word. Instead, Taiyang just simply send a punch aimed at the Abnormal's head. In an instant, its head was gone. It wasn't knocked off nor did it explode. No, the punch just seemed to make its head vaporize. There was a second delay before the rest of its body was sent flying due to the sheer power in the punch over the cliff. The danger was gone.

"RUBY" yelled Taiyang.

"JAUNE" yelled Joseph.

"SISTER, JAUNE." That was Yang though Ruby couldn't see her.

Ruby could see her father running towards her as was Jaune's dad. Her vision was beginning to fade as she turned her head to look at Jaune, his eyes closed. As the adults reached them, she had joined Jaune in the realm of unconsciousness.

When Ruby opened her eyes next, she found herself looking up to a familiar ceiling. "Where am I...?" she ask as she sits up only to find herself being put into a bone crushing hug.

"Ruby, you're awake" cries Yang. "You dummy, don't ever scare me like that again."

"Yang...can't breath."

"Now now, Yang. Don't go crushing your sister" comes Taiyang. Ruby turns her head and sees him standing by her bed side. Behind him, she could see Jaune's dad sitting in a chair on the far side of the room. Once Yang had broken the hug, Taiyang gives her a much less crushing hug. "You feeling OK?"

Ruby nods, saying "Yes, but I was scared. First I got lost then I hurt my foot then this giant monster attacked and Jaune...JAUNE. Where is he?" Ruby began to look around frantically.

"Don't worry, sweet pea" says Joseph while Taiyang moves to allow Ruby a better view. "He's right here next to you." She could see Jaune now, laying across from her in Yang's bed. He was still asleep as far as she could tell.

"Will he be OK?" she asked, her voice shaky as she could still recall the moment the Beowulf had slashed his back.

"He used a lot of Aura fighting that Abnormal and he took a pretty nasty hit to his back" says Joseph, looking at his son before looking back at Ruby. "But he'll be just fine after a few days of rest. He is an Arc after all."

Ruby lets out a sigh of relief. "Ruby, what happened out there?" asked Taiyang. Ruby told them what had happened, the looks on both Taiyang and Joseph faces being grave.

"We'll need to investigate this in the morning, Tai" says Joesph.

"Agreed, an Abnormal appearing here is quite...alarming. I'll contact Qrow and ask if he'll join us" says Taiyang. He then looks at Ruby and says "I'm not happy with you running off like that, little one. Because of you doing that, you nearly got yourself and Jaune killed."

Ruby tears up and sniffles, knowing her father was right. But Taiyang simply ruffles her hair, adding "But I think the memory of what happened is punishment enough. No child should have to experience what you both did. Just promise me you'll never do something like that again."

"I promise, daddy" says Ruby, getting a nod from Taiyang who then stands up.

"Well, I think its time we have some dinner. I'll make you your favorite, Ruby" says Taiyang before leaving the room. No sooner had Taiyang left did Jaune's eyes shoot open and he sits up fast, shouting "RUB...AAAHHH!" His body goes rigid from the sudden sharp pain he feels from his back.

"Careful son" says Joseph, already up and at his son's side, his hands on Jaune's shoulders. "I've placed some medical dust patches on you back to help with the healing but sudden movements like that will only reopen your wounds."

"Dad? Where's Ruby at?" asked Jaune, sounding panicked.

"She's right across from you, pukey" says Yang, getting his attention.

"Jaune...you're awake." Ruby had tears in her eyes, her voice sounding relieved.

"Where are we?" asked Jaune, now looking around.

"We're at the Xiao Long residence, son" says Joseph before throwing his arms around Jaune and hugging him as hard yet carefully as he could. "Boy, what you did was reckless, foolish, and I am DAMN proud of you. Because of you, little Ruby is still alive."

Joseph breaks the hug to look at his son's face. Jaune looks at Ruby, smiles, then back to his dad and says "What can I say? I am an Arc after all."

"That you are, son. That you are" says Joseph before ruffling his son's hair then getting up. "I'll go help Tai with getting dinner made. You just stay here and rest."

"Dad?" says Jaune as his father goes to leave the room.

Joseph stops and looks back at his son. "Yes, son?"

"When we return home, I want you to start training right away. I want to become as strong a Knight as there ever was in our family" says Jaune with a determined voice.

"Hold the Scroll, Jaune" says Yang. "I thought you said you didn't want to become a Knight?"

Jaune looks at Yang and says "I never said I didn't want to be a Knight. What I said was that I wanted to have a choice in the matter where my future was concerned." He then looks at Ruby and gives her a warm smile before looking back at his dad. "I still feel that way but I now I know I want to become a Knight, the strongest there has ever been."

"And why's that, son?" asked Joseph.

"Because I found something...someone I want to protect. And because I made a promise and like you always tell me, when an Arc makes a promise, we'll never break it no matter what" says Jaune.

"That's my boy" says Joseph, the pride he felt for his son greater now than it had ever been before. "Then once we get back, we'll begin. Just be warned, I won't be taking it easy on you."

Jaune smirks, saying "Bring it on."

Joseph nods before leaving the room with a smile on his face. Jaune smiles before turning to Ruby and Yang, asking "So, what do you do...GGAAHH, Ruby?"

Ruby had gotten out of her bed and had jumped onto Yang's and was now hugging Jaune. "That was so cool, Jaune. You sounded super cool."

Yang shakes her head though still cracks a smile. "Wasn't that cool."

The next day, Taiyang, Joseph, and Qrow had gone out and spent most of the day searching for any more of the Abnormal Grimm but found nothing. Ruby decided she wanted to stay by Jaune and she even tried to read him some of her favorite fairy tale books though Jaune ended up having to read them to her as they had a lot of big words in them. There was also that little moment with Yang giving Jaune a thank you though that was something Ruby knew Yang wouldn't want remembered.

After five days, Jaune's back was healed up enough for the Arc's to be able to leave and return home. Ruby was hugging Jaune with all her might as she cried hard. "No, no, I don't want you to go. Can't we keep him, daddy? I promise I'll feed him everyday."

"Jaune isn't a dog, Ruby" says Taiyang though he had cracked a smile though. Off to the side, Yang mumbles "Could have fooled me." Taiyang ignores that and adds "He has his own home to return to now so you'll need to be a big girl and let him go."

Ruby does break the hug and steps back but she was still pouting while her head was hanging down. "I...I know that _sniff_ but I...I just want..."

"Little red" says Jaune, getting her to look at him. "I know you want me to stay but I can't. I need to be heading home with my dad. But I promise you I'll come back to see you soon."

"You will?" asked Ruby.

"Yep, because I promised and what have we learned about a promise from an Arc, hm?" asked Jaune.

"That you always keep your promises" said Ruby, making Jaune nod. She wipes the tears from her eyes and does her best to smile. "Please come back soon."

"Sooner than you may know" she hears Joseph say though she doesn't understand what he meant.

Jaune then reaches up and removes his orange scarf from around his neck. He then wraps it around Ruby's neck. "Here, you can have it. Even if I'm not here myself, you'll have something of mine here with you to keep you safe. Besides, it looks better on you anyways."

Ruby blushes, her gaze looking away as a hand reaches up to touch the scarf. "Thank you, Jaune. I'll always treasure this..."

"Hey Jaune" comes Yang. "You better not tell your friends about...you know what, because if you do, I will..." She then punches the air with several rapid jabs. "You go it?"

"No need to worry about that, Goldilocks. Truth be told, you and Ruby are technically the first friends I've ever actually made. All I have back home is my mom, dad, and sisters." Yang nods but then frowns as a smirk appears on Jaune's face.

"Beside, I'm not the kind of guy to...'kiss' and tell."

Yang's face goes all red while Joseph laughs hard, knowing already about that little moment from the other day. Taiyang, meanwhile, just mumbles something to himself no one catches.

"Well, we better be going" says Joseph, already turning towards the road to head to Patch to catch a Bullhead. "We'll see you here in a few months, Tai."

"We'll be here" says Taiyang. He tells the girls to wave goodby to the Arc's.

"Hey, little red" yells Jaune as he looks back at Ruby. "Like I said before, I'll protect you. Always..."

Ruby nods as fresh tears fall from her eyes. "Me too" she yells. "I'll become strong so I can protect you too..."

 _ **(flashback ends)**_

Ruby was crying. All the memories of those day had been regained and while she was happy for that, these memories had also brought great sadness and confusion upon her. How could she have forgotten those days? Forgotten Jaune after what he had done for her? Why didn't he ever come back like he promised? Had he also forgotten her? So many painful questions she needed to have answered.

"Ruby, what are you doing down here?" comes Taiyang, walking down the stairs. He reaches her and places a hand on her shoulder, turning her to look at him. "It's late, you should be in...bed...Ruby? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Dad..." she says, sniffling while using her hands to wipe the tears from her reddened eyes. "Why did I forget him? Forget what happened and what he did for me?"

"Ruby, what are you talking about?" asked Taiyang.

"Jaune" was Ruby's reply. "I started to remember it this morning while looking through my old treasure box. Jaune and his father coming to visit us all those years ago. Getting lost in the woods and Jaune saving me from that Abnormal Grimm, getting hurt in the process. How could I forget all of that? I'm _sniffle_ a horrible..." Her tears begin to fall again, making Taiyang hug her.

"Ruby, you aren't a horrible person" said Taiyang in comforting tone while rubbing a hand across her back. "You remember it all now though, right?"

She nods. "But I still feel..."

Taiyang breaks the hug so he could look her in the eyes. "Ruby, understand that our memories are incredibly fickle things. Easy to make and even easier to forget. Think of each and ever memory being like a drop of water, falling into and filling a glass. As we get older, we find more water droplets being added to the glass. In time, even the most important memories we held dear to our hearts as children will be swept away by the current and pulled under as the glass turns into an ocean. But even if we forget, the memories are still there inside us, waiting for just the right push to bring them back up to the surface. So don't feel sad that you forgot. Instead, be happy you finally remembered something that was important to you."

Ruby nods and wipes away her tears again, this time smiling as best she could. "You're right, thanks dad...but I still feel bad about it though." After a moment, Ruby holds out Jaune's old training sword and ask "Why is this here? How did you find it anyways? Last time I saw it was still sticking out of the back of that Abnormal your punch sent flying off the cliff next to mom's grave."

"After a few months, I found it while checking on something regarding the Abnormal. Ruby, those variant of Grimm are different from the usual set and not just because they lack the white armor like growths. But we can speak on that another time. To answer your question, I found it and brought it back here. I had planned to give it back to Jaune when he came back but...things didn't quite go as planned." Taiyang then takes the training sword, reverts it to its portal mode and places it back on the shelf.

"Dad, why didn't he come back? He promised me he would and an Arc always keeps their promise, right? Why did I have to wait ten years before seeing him again at Beacon with neither of us remembering?"

"That...that will take some time to explain. So much that it'll have to wait till the morning" says Taiyang.

"But I..."

"RUBY" he says, his tone making her jump. His eyes were hard, serious. It scared her. After a moment, he lets out a sigh. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you there. Please, wait till morning. I know not telling you now will make sleeping hard tonight for you. But..."

"But?" asked Ruby.

"What I'll have to say, once said, may cause you more pain and distress than you'd be able to handle without getting some sleep..."

Taiyang said no more that night. Ruby returned to her room and finished filling out her note book before turning in. As she lay in her bed, her mind wondered what it was she would soon learn. What had happened after Jaune and his dad had left that had been so bad that it would make her father have the look he had on his face and tone in his voice. The very thought scared her. Eventually though, she did fall asleep.

Morning soon came and Ruby was up along with the sunrise. Taiyang soon joined her and while Ruby wanted to start their talk right away, Taiyang convinced her to wait till after breakfast. Once breakfast had been finished and the dishes clean, Taiyang sat Ruby down and took a seat next to her.

After a tense moment, Taiyang lets out a sigh. "OK, I guess I should tell you what you want to know. Ruby, are you sure you want to hear this? What I'm about to reveal may be...difficult to hear."

Ruby nods. "Difficult or not, I want to know. I need to know."

"Very well." Taiyang goes quite for a minute, his eyes closed as he recalls the information Ruby sought. "First, I want you to know why Jaune and his father came here to Patch to begin with."

"It wasn't because you wanted me and Yang to meet him and become friends?" asked Ruby.

"That's part of it. The thing with Jaune is that back home, he had no friends. None of the kids there wanted to play with him. Being of the Arc lineage brings a heavy burden with it."

"I think I understand what you mean. Pyrrha..." Ruby stops, her eyes tearing up at the thought of her lost friend. "She had issues like that too. All her successes put in her a spot others felt they couldn't reach and because of that, they avoided her. It wasn't till she came to Beacon that she found people who saw her as her and would approach her and be her friend. Jaune was the first to do this."

"I see. Anyways, that was one of the reasons. The other reason Joseph brought Jaune here was because he planned on registering Jaune to start attending Signal. In fact, he would have joined alongside Yang had things gone according to plan."

"Jaune...was going to go to Signal?" asked Ruby, getting a nod.

"Yes, which means you would have gotten to see him a lot more often. Everyday actually seeing as he would have been staying here with us" says Taiyang.

Ruby's eyes go wide with shock. "He...Jaune was...going to live with us?"

"Jaune's home is the village of Versailles which, while located within Vale's territory, was within the outskirts. Because of this, commuting back and forth from Signal and Versailles would have been quite difficult and costly for his family. That's why I agreed to let him live with us while he was attending Signal. In fact, the room Yang's using now was originally my office I used to deal with school work when here at home. After they're visit, I converted my office into a spare bedroom for Jaune to use."

Ruby couldn't believe it. Jaune would have been living with them. What would that have been like if it had happened? "Why didn't he come back?" asked Ruby, a knot forming in her stomach from fear on what she was about to hear.

"It happened four months after Joseph and Jaune came here. I can assume Jaune was looking forward to his return and seeing you and Yang again, according to the messages Joseph told me." Taiyang goes silent, taking a moment to breath deep. Ruby could see it on his face, he was finding it hard to proceed.

"Ruby, the reason Jaune never came back was...because he...was kid..."

"Tai, maybe I should tell this to Ruby" came Qrow, his voice making both Ruby and Taiyang jump.

"Uncle Qrow?" said Ruby, surprised to see him here.

"So you got my message?" asked Taiyang, getting a nod from Qrow. Taiyang then looks back at Ruby and says "I asked Qrow if he'd come by and help me explain this as he was on that mission with Joseph when he...was killed."

"Jaune's dad...is dead?" asked Ruby, getting nods from her father and uncle. "But, how? Jaune never told us about that. From the way he talked, he made it sound like his dad was still alive."

"He may not have been comfortable with talking about that fact. I was the same myself in my youth. My dad had died early but I acted like he was still alive with Qrow, Raven, and your mother because well...I guess I just didn't want to get pity over it. Stupid, I know, but that's how I thought back then" said Taiyang.

Qrow takes a moment to drink before continuing. "As Tai was telling you before, there came a day when old Joey and Camille, Jaune's mother, were out at a village meeting and his sisters were elsewhere too. Jaune, wanting to impress his father, did something stupid."

"What did he do?" asked Ruby.

Qrow lowered his eyes. "I don't know the details myself but I do know he suffered a massive head injury as a result of what he did. His twin sister, Joy, found him unconscious with a bloody gash on top of his head. He was rushed to the hospital where the doctors did everything they could to fix him up but he still ended up in a coma that lasted a full year."

Ruby felt tears slide down her cheek. Her eyes were wide and the knot in her stomach grew bigger. Qrow continued, saying "After some time, a mission from Ozpin came up that I was apart of. This mission was of the most critical. I was to assemble a team and launch an attack against the Cult of Grimm."

"Cult of Grimm? Who are they?" asked Ruby.

"Do you remember that Abnormal Beowulf that attacked you and Jaune?" asked Taiyang, getting a nod from Ruby. "This Cult was the source of the Abnormal's."

"We don't know what the Cult were planning, but we do know they had somehow obtained Grimm DNA which they combined with criminals and other such who they had taken as experimental test subjects and had this Grimm DNA injected into them followed by other stimuli being added. I believe they wanted to create the perfect Human/Grimm hybrid being but all they got are the Abnormal's, Grimm with a taste for human and Faunus flesh and blood, a higher intellect than normal Grimm and even, to some degree, Aura."

After a breath, Qrow continued. "I asked Joey to join my team due to his Semblance, which we called Cover. He could warp to the side of anyone within his line of sight and shield them. He could even switch places with another person if he really wanted, again so long as they were within his line of sight."

"But why would mister Arc go with you when Jaune was still in a coma?" asked Ruby.

"He..." Qrow hesitates for some reason. Seeing his uncertainty made Ruby consider something. _'They're trying to hide something from me...'_

"Because we needed him. Arc's have always been known for putting others needs over their own. Plus, there wasn't anything more he could do for Jaune apart from simply just being there with him. So, Joey decided to come help me. Besides, the other two members I brought into the team were his other two teammates from his and Camille's old team so it made sense for him to be there" said Qrow.

Qrow takes a drink. "The four of us made our way to the Cult's base and... _heh_...made our presence known. We found ourselves killing a small army of Abnormal's they had been making till at last, we stood face to face with the Cult's leader. We managed to subdue him but he simply smiled, revealing he had also underwent the Grimm DNA infusion. He then broke free and turned into an Abnormal based on a Grimm we had never encountered before. It was the most humanoid of the Grimm ever seen, having an heavily muscular body and arms, large wings on its back and massive teeth growing from the mouth of its horned faced. We call this new Grimm the Gargoyle."

"Gargoyle? Has there ever been in encounter with them since then, either Abnormal or natural?" asked Ruby.

Taiyang shakes his head. "None that I have heard of."

"Just this once. But the fact such a Grimm had DNA that could be used means that they're somewhere out there, waiting to be encountered. Based on how the following fight with the Abnormal Gargoyle went, I shudder at the thought on fighting multiple natural Gargoyle's."

After a pause, Qrow continued. "The fight was hard. We all took a lot of hits in that fight but it was Joey who managed to land the killing blow though the Gargoyle, being an Abnormal, was able to get off its own final attack before death which fatally wounded Joey. Before he died, he had me promise him I make sure Ozpin would keep an eye on his family and when Jaune was old enough, he would bring him to Beacon to train."

"I was confused by his request, for a long time. When I delivered his body home to his family, with his team and Ozpin alongside, Ozzie told me to keep quiet about what his final wish was for the time being. Years later, Ozzie contact me, saying he had an important mission for me. Meeting with him, I learned Jaune had finally regained consciousness a month after Joey's death. But there was a little problem."

"Jaune, due to the trauma he had suffered as well as being in a coma, had lost nearly all his memories. All the training he had done, meeting you, Yang, and Tai, his dreams, he had forgotten it all. Despite that though, he still had the desire to become a Huntsman even if he couldn't recall the reason why. Of course, due to what had happened to him and his father, Camille refused to let him train or even to attend combat school."

"But why would she do that? Surely Jaune's mom knew why he wanted to train?" said Ruby.

Taiyang answers her, saying "When you become a mother some day, you'll come to understand. For Camille, nearly losing her son AND losing her husband scared her. It scared her badly. Jaune was more than just the sole male heir to the families legacy and the one who would pass the name on to the next generation. He was HER SON and she'd be damned if she'd lose him too. So, for her, there was no choice. She would keep him safe with her at home. I can relate. After what happened at Beacon and Yang getting injured like she did, I want nothing more than to keep her and you here at home, away from any and all dangers. Even if you hate me for that, I can bare that hatred. I can't bare even the thought of losing you both. I'm sure for Camille, it was the same."

Ruby didn't know how to respond. She honestly hadn't ever thought about it. Qrow takes another drink before continuing. "Ozzie's mission was simple. Head to Versailles and find Jaune and give to him the transcripts he would need to gain entry into Beacon. Luckily, I didn't need to sneak into his home as he was running errands for his mother around the village. Obviously, I couldn't just GIVE them to him as he likely wouldn't believe it could work so I sold it to him. I told him when he would be able to use them and the rest, as they say, is history."

"So he didn't use fake transcripts like he had told us. They were real."

"Fake, no. Unofficial, yes" said Taiyang.

"Wait, what did you do with HIS money, uncle Qrow?" asked Ruby.

"Well, I figured while I was in Versailles, I'd hit up the local taverns and sample the local drinks...and woman." Ruby gives her uncle a stone cold glare, making him sweat drop as he could vividly recall Summer when she had that look on her face and what usually followed.

"You better pay him back" yells Ruby.

"Don't worry, kiddo. I'll pay him back..." says Qrow. _'Eventually...'_

"Once at Beacon and the teams had been decided upon, Jaune was made the leader of his respective team because I believe Ozpin hoped the position would stir some of his slumbering memories and bring them back to the surface. And even if not, maybe it would at least bring out the leader we all know he can become" adds Taiyang.

"Jaune..." says Ruby. So much had happened to him and most of it terrible. She knew, now more than ever, she needed to talk to him. To see him again. There was so much she needed to say to him.

"I don't think Jaune being your first friend made in Beacon was chance" says Qrow suddenly as he stands, bringing Ruby's attention back onto him. "...Maybe the fates are wanting the two of you to remember the your link from the past. Old Ozzie believed as much. After all, the two of you are his wild cards after all."

"What does that mean?" asked Ruby.

"Oh look at the time" says Qrow, looking at his non-existent watch. "We really need to get going, Tai. Classes to teach, test to give, papers to grade, the female student body to...educate."

"Uncle Qrow...dad" cries Ruby, jumping to her feet.

"He's right" says Taiyang, also getting up. "Except for that last bit, I mean. Get some rest, Ruby. You're still recovering."

Taiyang and Qrow begin to leave but Ruby stops them by saying "Was that all of it?" They look back at her as she adds "Are you sure there wasn't anything else?" The adults look at each other then back at her. "Yep, pretty much all that and a bag of chips. As for what I meant about you and Jaune being wild cards for Ozpin? I'll tell you when the time comes, kiddo. Later..." says Qrow as he exits the house. Taiyang gives her a final look before he to leaves.

Ruby watches them go. "Now I know they're hiding something" she says to herself. She shakes her head to clear her thoughts. It wasn't going to do her any good to dwell on that question now. Besides, there was something else she wanted to do. She returns to her room and drops back on her bed, taking hold of her Scroll and holding it up above her.

Before, she had been scared that Jaune would be mad at her for failing to save Pyrrha. That fear had stopped her from contacting him then. But now, while she was still worried about that, it was a minor worry. She brings up Jaune's number on her Scroll and finds her heart was beating just a little bit faster as she goes to hit the call button.

But just as she hits the button, the screen shifts, alerting her of an incoming call. A call from Jaune. This makes Ruby's eyes go wide. He was calling HER? It only took her a second to react, pressing the talk button and bringing the Scroll up to her ear.

"Jaune?" she asked, feeling nervous.

"Hey, Ruby." He sounded tired. "You doing OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you OK?" she asked.

"Physically, yeah. But..."

Ruby tears up. "Jaune...I'm so sorry...I...me and Weiss, we promised we'd save Pyrrha...and..."

"It's alright" says Jaune, his voice soft. "I know you did your best. I...I should have stopped her. It's my fault she's gone, no one else. If I had just been stronger...had only done what Ozpin told me to do..."

"It's not your fault either, Jaune" cried Ruby, her tears falling from her eyes. "You did the best you could, we all did. But sometimes...our best just isn't enough."

"Yeah, I know. Doesn't make it easier to bare though, huh?" he says, trying to laugh. "Sorry, by the way. I wanted to call you sooner. Wanted to know if you were OK as you were unconscious when I last saw you. But I didn't know if you were awake yet."

 _'So that's why he hadn't called. I thought he might have been mad at me'_ thinks Ruby, feeling a weight lifting from her. "It's OK. I had wanted to call you too...but I was afraid you'd be mad at me..."

"I could never be mad at you" said Jaune. "So, how's Yang doing? What about Blake and Weiss?"

Ruby told him, about Yang being OK physically but suffering both mentally and emotionally depressed. That Blake was missing, having run away from them all. And Weiss had been taken home to Atlas and, with the CTT down, there was no direct way to contact her.

"How are Nora and Ren?" asked Ruby.

"They're both find. They came with me back to my home in Versailles After what happened, they've decided to stick to me like glue" Jaune chuckles. "It's actually a little annoying to be honest."

That makes Ruby laugh. She could only imagine. Ren was nothing problematic but Nora, she was probably being a handful for the both of them. "Say, Jaune..."

"Yeah?" he replied.

Ruby found herself debating on if she should tell him about what she remembered. She wanted to so bad. _'No, something like this should be done in person. Not over the Scroll.'_

"My Uncle Qrow let slip some information on the enemy; the ones who attacked Beacon. It looks like there may be a clue to finding them in Haven" said Ruby.

"Seriously?" asked Jaune, his tone becoming serious.

"I'm planning on going there soon" adds Ruby.

"Alone?" asked Jaune, now sounding worried.

"Don't have much of a choice there. With my sister in her current state and both Weiss and Blake being out of contact, I..."

"I'll come with you" says Jaune, breaking in. "Ren and Nora will want to come too."

"Are...are you sure?" asked Ruby.

"I won't let you do this alone, crater face. Just tell me when and where and we'll be there."

Ruby smiles, wiping away a tear. "Thank you, vomit boy. I'm planning on leaving..."

 **(time skip, one week later)**

 _Dad, I'm sorry I left without saying anything._

 _I can't just keep laying around in bed or stay at home,_

 _not when I know those who had attacked Beacon are still out there._

 _That's why I'm going, to try to stop them before another tragedy happens._

 _I won't be going alone though. My friends will be with me,_

 _Jaune, Nora, and Ren. I promise I'll be in touch and I will return_

 _Love, Ruby_

Ruby finished reading over the letter, satisfied with it. She then places it down on her bed before moving over to the other bed and takes hold of her travel pack, putting it on. She then grabs Crescent Rose and leaves her room, heading outside. Shutting the door, she turns to see her companions.

"Hey" says Jaune, his voice quiet.

"Hey Jaune" she says, feeling relieved to see him. Taking a few steps towards him, she says "Haven's a long way to go."

"I know" he says. "But it's the only lead we have."

"And you're sure you want to come along?" asked Ruby.

"The journey will be perilous and whether we'll find answers at the end is entirely uncertain" says Ren, making Jaune and Ruby look at him.

"But we wouldn't be here if we weren't up for it" adds Nora.

Ruby smiles, giving them a nod. "Then lets get started..."

As they walk down the path, Ruby glances at Jaune, smiling. She wanted to talk to him about their shared past. But now wasn't the time as it was something she wanted to talk to him about in private before letting the others know. Now wasn't the right time, but perhaps they could talk tonight, or tomorrow. No matter how long it might take though, she knew she would tell him.

One day...

 _ **Ruby's chapter, Fin...**_

 **AN: Well, so ends the first of the planned 2 chapter Remember Me, Remember You.**

 **I plan on releasing one more chapter, this one being from Jaune's perspective in both the present and past segments which will add more context to everything, assuming I do a good job of writing it that is. Now I know there are some questions to answer and I'll do just that in the next chapters AN as this chapter is already long enough as is. 31 pages long to be exact. The longest single chapter I've ever written for a fic.**

 **One question I'll answer now is...**

" **What does Team JSTC stand for? _Team Justice, though that was probably obvious._ "**

 **Other questions, which will be answered next chapter include...**

" **What is the Cult of Grimm? What are their goals and reasons?"**

" **Just what are these Abnormal's?"**

" **Did Jaune use a Semblance on the Abnormal? If so, just what did he do?"**

 **If there are any other questions you have, ask in your reviews and I'll do my best to answer them in the next chapter as there may be a chance you might have a question I might forget to answer without it being pointed out to me. I'm forgetful like that which is annoying.**

 **And hoot, till next time, nates...**


	2. Remember, Jaune

**RWBY is owned by Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth**

 **AN: There will be several differences between what is said in (the flashbacks) this chapter than what was said in the last. The AN at the end of the chapter will explain more on this.**

 **RWBY**

 **Remember Me as I Remember You:**

 **Remember, Jaune**

 _His vision was blurry and his body was numb. He didn't know where he was or who these people were. He was being dragged down a long, dark hall with robed men to his right and left, their hands gripping his arms. Ahead of him was another robed figure. He manages to lift his head, seeing mask shaped like the faces of Grimm covering their faces._

 _He is taken into a large room and placed into a chair, strapped down. He feels them jabbing wires into his arms, legs and torso. A voice speaks, telling him "Relax, we aren't your enemies." He then feels his Aura being sucked from his body as the men turn their attention to a screen. What was on it he couldn't tell; his vision still being too blurry._

 _He then sees himself being placed into a tank filled with a purple colored goop, not quite a liquid nor a solid but something in between. He is then sealed inside and it feels like the substance is intruding inside him. They then do something and he finds his body hurting, both inside and out. It lasted forever. He is then placed on a bed, his eyes being forced to look up at a red light which seems to shift into an eye, glowing a bright red. Then he hears a voice, a woman's voice._

" _My Inquisitor..."_

Jaune awakens from the dream, breathing heavily. He sits up and looks around, finding a familiar layout. He was in his bedroom, in his families home within the village of Versailles. Bringing a hand up to his face, he wipes the sweat from his brow before standing and entering his personal bathroom.

Over the past five generations, beginning with his great great grandfather, Jonas Arc, the Arc family had come into a small fortune. While nowhere near the level had by some of Remnants more prominent families, like the Schnee's, it was still more than enough to allow the Arc's to live well. The family home was proof of this as it, over the generations, had evolved into a small mansion. Jaune and his seven sisters each had their own bedrooms complete with their own bathrooms too as well enough spare bedrooms to accommodate eight guest. There was also a large training hall and a vault of honor down in the basement where the weapons and armor of past Arc's were stored. They also had a beautiful garden out back, complete with a hedge maze among a few other niceties besides.

Jaune splashes cold water onto his face several times before looking in the mirror. He looked terrible but not because of the dream though it wasn't helping any. Jaune was suffering from several things. First and foremost was the death of Pyrrha. There was also the fact he was feeling utterly worthless and pathetic. It was because of that which had led him to make his decision the night before...

 _ **(flashback 1)**_

Jaune led Ren and Nora through Versailles, his two teammates taking the chance to look in wonder at the beauty found in Jaune's home town. This place had a sense of history behind it with both the design of the buildings and how the road had been paved with plenty of flower covered hedges lining the sides of the road. Jaune pointed out points of interest, knowing his friends will want to explore a bit come the 'morrow.

Soon, he stood before the gate that guarded his families estate. Stepping beyond, they begin to make their way up a slight hilly incline towards the Arc mansion. Nora whistles as her eyes fall on the building. "Now that's a place to hang ones hat, fearless leader. You must be loaded."

"Not really" says Jaune. "This is just the end result of five generations of hard work and proper lien management."

"It's so big though" says Nora.

"Jaune does have seven sisters, remember? That does demand a larger home" says Ren.

As they approach, the front doors open and a figure steps out, making the three companions stop. "So, my idiot little brother has finally come home" comes the girl. She then walks forward and hugs Jaune close. "We've really missed you, Jauney."

Jaune hugs her back. "I've missed you too, Dru." Off to the side, Ren smiles while Nora tears up, saying "That's so beautiful."

After a few moments, Jaune breaks from the girl and looks back at his teammates and says "This is my oldest sister, Drusilla Arc. Dru, these are my teammates, Ren and Nora."

The girl with shoulder length crimson red hair steps forward. "I welcome you to our home and I thank you for keeping this dork safe all this time." Jaune makes his annoyance at her words known. She the looks back at the mansion and yells out "Hey, guess who finally came back to visit us."

"How'd you even know I was here anyways, Dru?" asked Jaune, getting her attention. "I hadn't called to let you guys know I was coming back. I was kind of wanting it to be a surprise."

"Sorry, Jaune. We all have our secrets and this is one of mine. Now, lets head inside. You three must be hungry."

"Ain't that the truth" says Nora.

"With all that's going on, we were forced to walk all the way here" adds Ren.

"You couldn't catch a Bullhead?" asked Drusilla, getting head shakes from the three. She sighs and mumbles something under her breath. "Well, can't be helped now can it. Anyways, lets get some food for you three." They then proceed to head inside when a blur comes flying out, slamming into Jaune with enough force to send him flying back onto the ground. He groans then realizes their was a weight on him.

"JAUNE, YOU STUPID IDIOT! HOW COULD YOU LEAVE WITHOUT AT LEAST TELLING **ME**?" yelled the girl currently on top of him. She was both mad yet had tears in her eyes as she looked at him for just a moment longer before hugging him with all her might. "I was so worried about you."

Jaune just stares blankly before sighing and hugging the blonde with waist length hair. "I know, Joy. I know. I'm sorry."

Drusilla looks at Ren and Nora, saying "Sister number 5, Joy Arc. She and Jaune are twins and she has always been rather attached to him."

 _'That's rather obvious'_ thinks Ren. Moment's later, five more girls emerge from the mansion and await their turns to hug their brother. Drusilla turns and points to each one for introductions.

"Esther Arc, second born." Esther had red/yellow hair cut short.

"Amelia Arc, third born." Amelia had a long blond pony tail, tied in a braid.

"Bethany Arc, fourth born." Red hair cut in a similar fashion as Esther's.

"Mary Arc, sister number six." Her near knee length hair dyed teal.

"Last but not least, Charity Arc." Red hair with gold highlights done up in pigtails. Ren and Nora greet each one in accordingly. They all look over and see Joy was still hugging Jaune.

"Joy, that's enough. Let the others have their turn" said Drusilla, her tone saying it wasn't an option. Joy gives Dru a sour look but does as she's told. Once Jaune was up, he hugs the rest of his sisters then looks around. "Say, where's mom at?"

"You lucked out there, big B" says Mary.

"Mom left earlier this morning, going with mister Pierre to visit the other border village heads in order to have a meeting over the recent events that have hit the Kingdom" adds Amelia. Esther tells Nora and Ren that Pierre was the name of the village's mayor.

"You'll be so grounded once she gets back. She was plenty upset with you when you ran off to Beacon without even saying a word" says Bethany.

"Why'd you leave us without saying anything anyways, big brother?" asked Charity.

"OK, that's enough" says Drusilla, clapping her hands to get their attention back onto her. "I'll need to contact mom and let her know you've come home. Consider yourself on probation till she gets back which won't be for another two days."

Jaune gulps, then says "One more free day then I'm dead. Great..."

Joy conks him on the head. "It's your own fault for leaving like you did."

Drusilla turns to Ren and Nora. "You two are free to stay with us, of course. We have plenty of rooms."

Ren and Nora accept the offer as both were feeling rather tired after the long walk. Nora doesn't hesitate to remind Dru that they were hungry. "What would you like?" asked Drusilla.

Ren shrugs, saying "Anything would be fine. I'm not one for being picky..."

"PANCAKES, WITH LOTS OF SYRUP" shouts out Nora.

Drusilla chuckles, then turns to Jaune and says "And I'm guessing you'll want the usual?"

"Would be nice" says Jaune, getting a nod. Drusilla looks back at Mary and Amelia and says "OK, you two. Work your magic." The two girls nod as the turn and enter the house.

Charity looks at Ren and Nora, saying "Amelia and Mary have been taking cooking lessons from chef Rastoui, one of the greats of our time and a local legend here in Versailles."

"Now, how about we give our guest a tour and show them to their rooms" said Drusilla, leading them into the mansion. Once they were all inside, Jaune breaks away, saying "You guys go on without me. There's something I have to go do. Be back in a bit."

Drusilla, knowing where he was going, nods before getting the tour underway. Only Joy remained watching Jaune for a few seconds before quietly following. Jaune made his way through the lower east wing hall. It felt like a lifetime had passed since he was last here. Soon, he arrived at a set of stairs leading down which he descends, entering the Vault of Arc's. Within this room were large paintings of each and ever Arc who had achieved greatness within their lives and beneath those paintings was a case that held their weapons and armor. Jaune walked through the room, gazing at each and every object. He allowed himself a moments thought. If Ruby ever got to see this, her eyes would be bursting from their sockets at seeing all the weapons on display considering how much of a weapon nut she was.

Letting that thought, and the smile it brought with it, go, Jaune moved over to the portrait of his great great grandfather, Jonas Arc. He stares at it for a moment before looking down at the empty display case. He then unhooks Crocea Mors sheath from his belt and opens the case, sliding the weapon and sheath/shield back home were it belonged. He then closes the display case and takes a few steps back, his gaze returning to the portrait of his ancestor.

"I borrowed your weapon because I thought it would give me both your strength and courage, grandpa. I thought it would help me become worthy of your name. Instead, I return it as a failure..." Jaune closes his eyes to fight back the tears building up as he clenches his fist. "Please...forgive me..."

Back at the entrance to the Vault, Joy looks at her brother, her own eyes filling with tears from the knowing her twin must be suffering so much mentally and emotionally right now due to his words and actions. And worse was the fact she didn't know what it was she could do to help him right now.

 _ **(flashback 1 ends)**_

Jaune grabs a towel and dry's his face before looking into the mirror again. Yeah, his decision. When he had left the Vault, he had made his choice. He would remain at home and accept what ever role his mother felt best for him. His dream of being a Knight, his days of fighting Grimm and honoring the family name...

Those days were over now. He was done.

After a few moments, he sniffs then wipes his eyes clear before undressing and hopping into the shower. After twenty minutes, he gets out and dry's off before returning to his bedroom and dressing in simple blue jeans and an orange shirt with the Arc family symbol on both elbow length sleeves. Once dressed, he sits down on his bed and looks around his room, not taking the time to do this the night before as he had been to tired when he had retreated in here after dinner and filling his sisters in on all that had happened since he had left.

He first looks at a shelf opposite him, next to the door out to the hallway. It was lined with books, mostly fair tales he had read as a child. There were other books that talked about battle strategy and weapon design. Along the bottom was a collection of his old journal's he had written as a child, chronicling his thoughts and feeling from back then. When his accident had occurred and he had suffered the loss of his memories, it had been reading his old journal's that had helped remind him of so much he had forgotten.

One thing had had noticed and found odd was how he felt about becoming a Knight and following the family tradition back then. He had always assumed he had this dream yet the writings seemed to indicate the opposite. He had found his past self was annoyed with the whole thing though his words told him it was more to do him wanting a choice in the matter on what he did with his life, something he gathered he wasn't getting as an option about back then. That just made the current him feel so confusing. Why had he been so intent on becoming a Knight; training to become stronger? His journal's didn't offer a clue nor could he remember obviously. Maybe the missing journal had the answer. Going by the dates held on the three had had on his shelf, there should be one more that led up to his 'accident' but he had never been able to find it anywhere. Maybe it just never existed.

Jaune turns his attention to his right, looking at the table next to his bed. It was didn't have much on it, just a lamp for night time reading, a clock, a single framed picture of his family taken a few weeks before the 'accident', or so he had been told, and his Scroll. He now turns his attention to his left to another shelf, this one had more pictures placed on it. The first picture was of him and his father, taken at a port with a Bullhead in the background. Looking at this picture brought out another memory for him, one of the few he had been luckily enough to remember in the years following the 'accident.'

 _ **(flashback 2)**_

"..ugh, my stomach..." groaned Jaune, seven years old, as he sits down, wanting to avoid looking out the window of the Bullhead. _'Do I really need to be here? Seriously?'_

"Try to hold it in, Jaune" came his father, Joseph. "We'll be landing within the next ten minutes."

Jaune tried to give his father a smile but failed. "It's funny, our Aura's can be used to do so many things yet can't help to stop motion sickness."

"Like I've told you before, Jaune. Our Aura's can't make miracles happen."

"Then how can you, someone who suffers from height fright, be doing fine right now?" asked Jaune.

"Years of experience, son. Well, that and some medication" says Joseph. "We really should see about finding some to help you."

"No thanks, I hate swallowing pills and the liquid stuff taste nasty" says Jaune. Wanting to change the subject, he ask "So, do you really think your old school buddy's kids will want to hang out with me? I'm not exactly good with making friends back home so how can I do better with them?"

"You're just a little socially awkward, son. You'll shake it off one day."

"Maybe" says Jaune. "But his kids are girls, right? Why would they want to hang out with me anyways?"

"They will, I'm sure of it. Just remember, son. The key is to be confident. As long as you're confident, the ladies will always respond positively, whether they be a kid or a full grown woman. Consider that your first lesson of manhood."

Jaune rolls his eyes. "Sure dad, whatever you say..."

Joesph just rustles his son's hair before turning his gaze towards the window. "Well, looks like we've arrived." Jaune forces himself to stand and look out the window too. "It's been far to long since I was last here..."

"Patch."

 _ **(flashback 2 end)**_

Jaune closes his eyes, allowing a smile to form at the memory. He had taken his fathers words to heart when he had first arrived at Beacon, trying to be confident as he used the old Arc charm to try winning over one Weiss Schnee. Things didn't go so well and he had found himself wishing his dad was still around so he could have ask where he had went wrong.

He pushes that thought from his mind. His lack of success with winning Weiss's affections were now a distant memory for him. Especially after Pyrrha's... Jaune feels his breath hitch as he turns his eyes to another picture on the shelf, one of several he had added the night before. The picture was of his team, JNPR. Well, his former team he corrected. Pyrrha was gone, killed by that witch, Cinder. He grits his teeth and clenches his fist tight enough to make his knuckles go white. Because of her, so many had been hurt and killed. He personally wanted to choke the life out of her.

But as much as he hated Cinder, he knew he hated himself even more. He had never felt more weak and useless as he did when he had contacted Ruby and Weiss, begging them to save Pyrrha for him. It should have been him, he told himself. He was her partner after all. He should have been the one to follow after her, to stand by her side. Instead, he had stayed where the locker had landed feeling sorry for himself. The last time he had seen Pyrrha, she had kissed him. It was fairly obvious from that act how she felt about him. He couldn't believe he had never noticed it before. All the signs were there.

It was because of that, he refused to allow himself to think about how he really felt about her. Because of how blind he had been, how weak. He truly believed he wasn't worthy of her affection or even her friendship. For him, it was just more proof how pathetic he really was. He should never have left home to begin with.

Jaune takes several deep breaths, willing his mind to clear. He needed a distraction from all the self depressing thoughts. Maybe a walk around around Versailles would work. He stands and makes for the door, only then noticing a note hanging on his door. He reaches out, grabs it, and reads what it says.

 _Jaune, was able to reach mom and told her you were back._

 _She said she'd be coming back later this afternoon_

 _so she and you can have 'little talk'. We all know what they means._

 _Dru..._

Jaune shakes, knowing exactly what one of his mothers 'talks' meant. "Well, who wants to live a nice long life anyways?" After tossing the note aside, he leaves his room and makes his way down the hall, heading to where Ren and Nora's rooms were. Arriving, he knocks on Ren's door first.

"Just a moment" comes Ren. A second later, the door opens and Ren steps out, dressed in a black, sleeveless top that was of the same style as his usual green colored wear, and gray colored pants. "Hey Jaune, what's up?"

"Not much. I was planning on heading out into town for a few hours to help clear my head. I figured I could give you and Nora a proper tour while I'm at it. We could even stop in at several of the shops and browse."

"Sounds like a plan." Ren closes the door and they walk towards Nora's room.

"So, sleep well?" asked Jaune.

"Like a log. I actually didn't want to get up to be honest" says Ren as they reach Nora's door. Ren gives it a knock.

"Yeah, the beds we have can have that effect on you" says Jaune. After several seconds, Jaune tries knocking but the two guys find no response. They then look at each other before Ren opens the door and they peek inside. The room was dark, mainly due to the curtains being closed. They see Nora, still deep asleep in bed, snoring rather loudly.

Jaune looks at Ren and says "Funny, all that time we shared a room back at Beacon, I never once noticed Nora was a snorer."

"She only snores when she's so comfy in bed it likes she's in heaven or so she says." Ren then steps inside before looking back at Jaune and says with an ominous tone "You might want to give us a minute. Nora can be pretty...wild when she's woken from the perfect slumber."

"Right, I'll wait outside" says Jaune, already moving to lean against the far wall.

Ren nod and goes to close the door but stops as a thought crosses his mind. "Jaune, have you tried calling Ruby yet?"

Jaune's eyes go wide, realizing he hadn't. He then looks away "I..."

"While I get Nora up, you should go do that. You know, make sure she's doing OK."

"...I know" says Jaune, his voice low, sad. Jaune begins walking back to his room while Ren closes the door to focus on his task.

As Jaune walked, he found his guilt consuming him again. He again recalled the last time he had spoken to her; recalled what he had asked her and Weiss to do. Because of that, Ruby had been injured. Well, he didn't know if she had actually been injured or not. But the fact she had been unconscious was injured enough in his eyes. Did he have a right to talk to her? To even still call himself her friend?

Just as he reaches his room, the whole house shakes and he hears Nora shout out as loudly as she was able "PANCAKE DOHNUT'S, WHERE?"

 _'So that's how you wake her? Why am I not surprised.' Jaune_ enters his room and grabs his Scroll, bringing up the contact page. Ruby's name and face was the first to pop up. He goes to press the call button but stops at a hairs length from the screen.

Doubt began to set in. What if she didn't want to talk to him. It had been eight days since the attack on Beacon and she hadn't tried to contact him. Sure, she had been unconscious when he had last seen her, in the care of her father and uncle. But he had been told she was simply exhausted from all the fighting and would likely awaken in a day or two. Furthermore, her uncle, who Jaune had recognized as the man who had sold him the fake transcripts, had told him he would have Ruby call him once she had woken up. Maybe she was still asleep or perhaps she was to busy with family and team related matters? After all, Yang had been hurt pretty bad and he wasn't sure what was going on with Weiss or Blake.

Sighing, he closes the Scroll and puts it back down. Perhaps what was stopping him was guilt. Guilt over putting the burden of saving Pyrrha onto her shoulders. Her and Weiss's. "I truly am pathetic..."

"You can say that again" comes a voice, making him jump. He looks back and sees Joy standing at his door, a book in her hand.

"Don't you know how to knock?" asked Jaune, giving his twin an annoyed look. "I could have been naked in here."

"Nothing I haven't seen before" said Joy, letting herself in. "What's the big deal, anyways? You've seen me naked before too, remember?"

"Yeah, back when we were three and we'd bathe together" said Jaune. "Never mind, you need something?"

She steps forward and holds the book in her hand out for him to take. "Take it."

Jaune takes the book while giving her a skeptical look. "Aren't you a little old to need me to read you a bedtime story? Beside..." He looks at his clock then back at her. "...it's not even mid morning yet."

Joy sighs, shaking her head. "Look at the cover, genius."

Jaune does as asked and turns his attention to the book, realizing it wasn't so much a book but a note book. A rather old one from the look of it. Examining the cover, his eyes go wide at the name on it.

'Jaune's Diary.' The word diary having been X'ed over and beneath it was scribbled the word Journal.

"Is this...?" Jaune opens the note book, looking at the date on the first entry. "This is my missing journal."

"The one you were in the process of writing when the 'accident' happened" confirmed Joy.

Jaune looks at it for a minute later then at her, asking "Where did you find it?"

"A few weeks ago, I was rummaging through the attic; looking through boxes filled with old junk. Don't ask me why. You know how I am when I'm bored. Anyways, I found it crammed into a box, stuffed behind other boxes. After looking inside and realizing what it was, I knew I had to get it to you."

Jaune nods, then ask "Why was it up there?"

Joy shrugs. "Can't say though I'm guessing mom put it there." Joy then looks at Jaune's clock and says "Oh crap, I need to go. I'm late meeting up Amelia. We're going on a Grimm hunt. Wants to make sure my training under her has been fruitful."

Joy turns to leave the room but stops at the door and looks back. "Make sure you read that from start to finish, Jaune. I'm sure you'll find your answer if you do."

Jaune, who's attention had been back on the journal, looks back up at his twin and says "About why mom tried to hide it?"

Joy shakes her head. "You'll have to ask mom directly about that question. I'm talking about the real question you have." Joy then moves back over to him. "How do I, can I, move forward after everything that happened?" She then looks to Jaune's team picture, making him look at it as well. "After what happened to her."

They then look at each other again. "I was there last night, watching you down in the Vault. Heard what you said. We're twins so I also know what was going through that head of yours. I wanted to help you but I couldn't think of what I could do for you at the time. It was only just a few minutes ago I recalled finding this journal and I knew it could help you. Truth be told, I planned on mailing it to you after I found it but I was worried it would get lost in the mail so I kept it here, safe and hidden, till I could give it to you in person."

"Joy...how can you..."

"JOY? WHAT'S THE HOLD UP? GET DOWN HERE OR I'LL LEAVE WITHOUT YOU" yells Amelia from downstairs.

"BE RIGHT THERE" yelled Joy. "Sorry Jaune, I really have to go." She then hugs him before turning to leave the room. She stops again, long enough to say again "Read it, all of it. Trust me, you'll find your answer." Then she was gone, leaving him alone.

Jaune stood there for several moments more before sitting down on his bed. He reopens the book and looks at the first page. _'Joy, you're so certain reading this will help me. Does that mean you read it after finding it?'_ That idea did annoy him as it technically was an invasion of privacy and he knew she'd kick his butt if he had done that with one of her diaries.

Pushing that thought aside, he turns his attention to the journal and begins reading it.

 _X Day, X Month, X Year:_

 _Today, dad told me he would be going on a trip here in two weeks to visit an old friend of his and mom's from back in their academy days. That's fine with me as it means I'll have a few days free of training. Finally, I could sleep in and slack off for the better part of the week._

 _Then he tells me I'm going to be going with him, says it'll be a good experience for me as I had never been anywhere other than here, Versailles. I didn't hesitate showing my annoyance, asking why I needed to go. Dad again says it would be a good experience for me and besides, his friend had two kids and given my lack of friends here at home, this would be my chance to finally make some. While I don't like talking about that little subject, I finally give in and ask what his friends sons are like._

 _Then dad tells me his friends kids were girls. Don't I have ENOUGH women in my life already?_

Jaune couldn't help but chuckle at that reaction. Giving it some thought, he realizes he did have mostly women in his life. His mom, his sisters, all of Team RWBY and both Nora and...Pyrrha. In fact, the only real male friend he had was Ren. Maybe he could include Sun and Neptune but he hadn't really interacted with either of them enough to be sure if he could call them friends and vice versa.

Going back to the journal, he reads more of his musings over those next two weeks; nothing of any real note worthy importance. As he arrived at the journal entry that talked about him and dad leaving on their trip, he realizes it must have been the same trip he could partly remember going on with him. Reading the entry confirms this when his past self mentions the name of the place they were going, Patch.

 _'So, it looks like I'll finally get to learn all about that trip'_ he thinks as he turns the page. He finds the next entry was longer than the others, taking several pages to explain. He guess's that meant a lot of stuff had happened over the course of this one day. Cracking his knuckles for no reason than to prepare himself, he begins to read this super lengthy entry...

 _After waking up and having breakfast, we leave the hotel we stayed the night at and make our way over to the Patch fair grounds. As we walk, I glance around, taking in this new place. While nowhere near as stylish as home, it did have a certain charm to it I guess. We soon arrive at the fair grounds and dad gives me leave to explore for a bit before I need to meet up with him at the fun house which is where we're suppose to meet up with his friend. Dad then takes off to do...dad stuff I guess. I then realize I didn't know where the fun house was and go to ask dad. Not surprisingly, he had already vanished._

 _With nothing else to do, I spend the next few minutes looking around, seeing what I could see. Sure, there was several attractions that caught my eye but my first priority was locating the fun house. The fair was a LOT bigger than I expected, considering Patch didn't seem all that big to me. I then decide to ask one of the workers if he knew. He tells me sure but I have to ride the ride he runs to get my answer. Looking at the ride, seeing it was one of those spinning tea cup things makes me hesitate, do to my motion sickness and all. But I really needed to know and I was running out of time. Besides, they don't seem to spin that fast. How bad could it be?_

 _I WAS WRONG! It spins a lot faster than appearances would have you believe and I begged him to let me off the crazy machine. His response was to just laugh...I think? My head wasn't running on full power, what with being dizzy and all. When then ride finally stops and I crawl off, I ask him, as best I could, about my question. He shrugs and says "Beats me kid. This my first day here too?" What a dick. I go wobbling off till I had find a nice, quiet, and private spot back beyond two stands and coat the grass in my breakfast. Not even thirty minutes here and I already hate it..._

 _ **(memory 1 start)**_

Jaune picks himself off the ground, the dizziness finally letting up. After another moment to make sure his balance was back to normal, he walks back out to the front of the stands and looks around. "OK, now what do I do?"

"GAH, That's gross Ruby. Disgusting..."

Jaune jumps from the loud cry, then looks around for the source as does anyone else who had heard it. He spies a blonde haired girl who yells "Just stay here. I need to find a bathroom or something." The blonde then turns and runs off, passing close by Jaune.

"Bathroom? Back around the entrance I think" Jaune yells to the girl, making her change directions and run past him, saying "Thanks" as she passes. Jaune then looks back at the other, smaller, girl as she falls back onto the ground.

 _'Guess I'll keep her company till Goldilocks comes back for her'_ thinks Jaune before walking over to the red head. He stops, standing close enough over her to cast his shadow upon her. She must have sensed his arrival as she opens her eyes and looks up at him.

"Looks like you're having fun." Jaune then holds his hand out to her, adding "I'm Jaune."

The girl looks away for a second then back at him and smiles, saying "I'm Ruby." She then accepts his hand and he helps her back onto her feet. It's then Jaune notices her eyes, making him think _'Silver iris's? She's kinda cute actually...'_ He's brought from his thoughts as he hears her giggle.

"Aren't you that pukey kid from earlier?"

"Pukey?" He then realizes he'd seen her and that other girl before, after he got off the tea cup ride. "Wait, you're one of the girls I stumbled past before." He blushes, feeling embarrassed as he had hoped no one had actually seen that. "I see you like giving people weird nicknames before a proper meet and greet."

"Sorry, but Pukey was the first thing that came to mind when I saw that" said Ruby.

Now feeling annoyed, Jaune retorts "Well, how'd you like it if I called you snot girl", referring to her previous incident with the blonde girl.

Ruby now blushes, embarrassed. "That wasn't my fault, it was the flower's fault."

Jaune shrugs, giving her a coy smile. "If you say so..."

"Ruby" yells someone, making them both look and see the blonde haired girl was fast approaching. Her face furrows as her eyes fall onto him, yelling "Who the heck are you? Are you trying to hurt my baby sister 'cause if you are..."

 _'Wait, they're sister? Funny, they don't look alike...'_

"Wait, Yang. Pukey...I mean, Jaune here, isn't trying to hurt me. He was just keeping me company while I waited on you" said Ruby in his defense.

Yang stops, calming down a bit as she looks at her sister. "Really...wait, pukey?" She then turns her attention to Jaune, giving him a closer look. "Hey, aren't you the dizzy boy who couldn't even handle the tea cups?"

Jaune blushes from embarrassment again, yelling "That wasn't my fault. Motion sickness is a very real problem for many people in this world. I like to think I do my best dealing with it."

Yang looked like she didn't believe him. "Right, if you say so." She then brushes one of her pigtails behind her shoulders. "Anyways, I'm Yang and you've already met my little sister, Ruby."

Jaune bows, saying "I'm Jaune. Name's short, sweet, and easy to remember...according to my mom anyways."

Yang gives him a skeptical look. "Right...anyways, we need to get going now." She then takes hold of Ruby's hand. "We need to go meet up with our dad right now...so see you around...or NOT." She then begins to walk off, pulling Ruby with her when Jaune recalls his search and decides to ask them.

"Before you go, mind telling me where the fun house is at around here?"

Yang stops dead and looks back at him with a wary look in her eyes. "Why?"

"Because I suppose to meet up with my dad there so he can introduce me to his friend and his friends kids."

Yang goes wide eyed as she shakes her head. "No way, you can't be...your last name can't be...?"

"My last name? Oh, it's Arc" said Jaune, not understanding why that would be a big deal to Yang.

Ruby looks at Yang and ask "Hey big sister, does that mean he's the son of daddy's friend?"

"YOU'RE HIM? YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?" screams Yang, getting plenty of eyes looking their way.

 _'So these two are the daughter's of dad's friend? Oh joy...'_

 _ **(memory 1 end)**_

"Wait, is this for real?" Jaune asked himself as he reread that part again. It couldn't be...had he really met Ruby and Yang all those years ago, well before that first day at Beacon? No, it had to be a coincidence. Just two girls who happened to be named Ruby and Yang who also happened to be sisters and look just like them, except younger...who was he kidding. It had to be them.

 _'But why didn't either of them say anything about that to me when during our entire time at Beacon?'_ he wondered. Had they forgotten too? _'Guess I didn't leave much of an impact on them.'_ Clearing his mind, he continues reading, hoping maybe more would be revealed about this discovery in his journal.

 _After Yang had her little 'episode', the three of us made our way over to the fun house where our dad's were waiting. After I introduce myself to mister Xiao Long, he comments how he can see me becoming a great Knight one day which makes me look away and scowl. I'm not sure but I think Ruby was looking at me when I did that. They then continue talking about this and that before the mention of getting some lunch comes up which is fine with me as I'm hungry after losing breakfast earlier. I then realize that dad and mister Xiao Long plan on talking about their youths to us. I then look at Yang and tap her on her shoulder, getting her attention onto me..._

 _ **(memory 2 start)**_

"This is bad. Our dad's are going to talk about their youths. Be prepared for embarrassment" Jaune warns her, knowing just how "ugh" inducing his dad's stories are whenever his and mom's old teammates come by for a visit.

Yang nods in agreement, likely having been through this herself. "I was afraid of that. Don't worry though, I have an exit strategy in mind."

"An escape plan, huh? I can get behind that." Jaune found he has a new respect for this girl as he looks at their dad's then back at her. "So what's the plan? You know this place better than I do."

Yang takes a moment to think, then says "OK, if things get too embarrassing, we'll sneak away when they're distracted and make a break for the nearest port. If we run fast enough, and with a little luck, we can be on the next Bullhead to Atlas within an hour, Two tops."

 _'I'm really starting to like this girl.'_ Jaune gives her a nod, saying "Sounds like a plan." Yang nods as well before they pull away and begin to follow after the dad's. Then they hear Ruby giggle.

"Hey dad, big sis and pukey are planning on running away together." This makes both Jaune and Yang freeze in place as the dad's stop as well and look back at them.

Joseph laughs, saying "Ah, so young and having only just met yet are already planning on eloping. Young love..."

Taiyang, on the other hand, wasn't quite as infused by this. "OVER MY DEAD BODY. No way am I going to let my little girl, either of them, run off and do something like THAT. No matter what age they are."

Jaune and Yang both declare in unison that they would never do something like that. Ruby, meanwhile, just giggles at the whole thing.

 _ **(memory 2 end)**_

 _Once we made it to the food stands and got lunch, we found a place to sit down and eat. Of course, the dad's did end up telling their old war stories, for lack of a better term. After lunch, they decide they need to go take care of some personal matters. The three of us, meanwhile, are free to continue exploring the fair and do as we wish. We are to meet up with them by 3pm. With that, they take off to do whatever it was they needed to do._

 _Ruby then ask me why I didn't look happy when my Knight training was brought up, making Yang curious as well. While it wasn't something I liked talking about, mainly because no one ever seemed to listen or care, I can't help but feel maybe they would understand so I tell them my gripes; how I hate not having a choice about what I will do with my life. I ask if they have ever had such trouble with their dad? Both tell me no, making me feel a little envious of them._

 _After that, we head off to see what fun could be had at the fair. In the process, me and Yang decide to make a little bet with each other over the various games. Nothing to big nor to important to record here, mainly because of...embarrassing reasons. I will admit though I did start to feel better, playing with them. Maybe dad was right. Maybe I could make friends after all._

 _Unfortunately, the good times just had to end as me and Yang go to play a final game to break the tie between us, we realize something was wrong. Ruby wasn't with us. Yang began to panic as we both ran back to the last stand we remembered her being at with us and ask the operator if he had seen Ruby? A shake of his head was his reply, making Yang become even more panicked. I'm able to calm her down, telling her we needed to focus on finding Ruby, Yang tells me to go find our dad's while she looks but, after a lot of back and forth, I convince her to let me look while she hunts down our dad's as I did have some tracking skills. Yang ask me about that but I tell her later. Once Yang was gone, I kneel down and place my hand on the ground, sending my Aura out to see if I could feel Ruby's._

 _When I had touched her hand before, I had just barely been able to feel it, her Aura deep within her. And I could also feel it in the ground, like a finger print of Aura made as we walk and touch everything though unlike a fingerprint, this "Auraprint" doesn't remain for long. Luckily, I'm just able to make out her Auraprint on the ground and I follow it. The tracks quickly leave the fair grounds, heading into the neighboring forest. As I follow them, I just hope she was alright..._

Jaune sighs, taking his eyes off the book. It was all so unbelievable to him. Had he really known Ruby and Yang all those years ago? He returns his attention to the journal, preparing to continue when he hears Ren's voice. "Jaune, you OK?"

He looks up, seeing both Ren and Nora standing at his door. "Hey guys, when did you get here?"

"About thirty eight minutes ago, fearless leader" says Nora. "That must be some good book you have there. We called and called your name and you didn't answer."

"Sorry about...wait, THIRTY EIGHT MINUTES?" asked Jaune, getting a nod. He then looks a his clock and sees the time. "Wow, I must have been lost in these pages."

"Maybe we should go on without you" said Ren. "That book must be important for you to lose yourself like THAT."

Jaune shakes his head as he closes the book and gets up. "It's fine. I did promise you guys a tour of Versailles and a tour is what I'll give. I can read more of this later." Jaune then goes to turn so he could drop the book down on his bed when he freezes, a realization hitting him.

"I...I remember...remember things from that day." He hadn't realized it while reading, but some memories had suddenly returned for him.

Several hours later, the three former teammates were having lunch outside one of Versailles most famous restaurants. Ren was sitting back, taking a sip from the ornate cup used by the establishment. "So, you knew both Ruby and Yang when the three of you were kids."

Jaune shrugs, saying "That's what my journal says and thanks to reading it, I've remembered a couple of things from those days. Not much but enough to confirm it is them."

"Interesting, why have you never told us about this before, Jaune?" asked Ren.

"Because I didn't remember." Jaune sighs, then says "Truth is, there's a lot of stuff I never told you guys after we formed our team. About ten years ago, I was involved in a training accident that left me in a coma for a year, give or take a few weeks. After I finally woke up, I couldn't remember anything. Since then, bits and pieces have returned to me but there's still so much I can't remember."

Nora goes to say something but only manages to spit a good chunk of the food she had been stuffing into her mouth out onto the table, making a nearby couple mutter something about "horrible table manners." Ren sighs and shakes his head. "Nora, how many times do you need to be reminded to not talk with your mouth full?"

Nora nods, swallowing her meal. "Sorry, Ren." She then turns her attention to Jaune and says again "So, what happened to you anyways, fearless leader?"

Jaune shakes his head. "Honestly, I don't know. Obviously, I can't remember anything. All mom and my sisters seem to tell me is that I was training alone while they were all out or so that's the assumption seeing as it was Joy who found me, in the training hall, laying on the ground unconscious with a nasty bloody wound on my head."

"But...you have your doubts?" asked Ren, noticing the the look of uncertainty come over Jaune's face. Nora, meanwhile, looks back and yells for the waiter to bring more food and drink.

"Yeah...I've ran my fingers through my hair over the years, trying to feel the scar the injury must have left as...well, for me to have lost my memories from the incident would require me to have suffered a wound so grievous that it would have left a scar. But I've never been able to find it even with my hair being in the way. Also, I was always told different things about where the injury happened."

"Maybe you got lucky and the scar faded into nothing over time" offered Nora.

"Maybe..." says Jaune before twisting his body around so they could better see his back. He then grabs the back of his shirt and lifts it up, revealing the lingering scar marks carved into his back. "But then why haven't these scars faded away then?"

"Jaune..." said Nora, reaching out and touching the marks. "What happened?"

"He doesn't remember this one either" said Ren, getting her attention as Jaune lowers his shirt and returns to looking at them. "You knew about this?" asked Nora. Ren nods, saying "Back during the Beacon dance, Jaune asked me if I could help him apply some Dust-A-Way onto his back so he could hide this scar while wearing that dress."

"Oh" said Nora, recalling that night and Jaune not having a scar on his back then. "But why hide it?"

Jaune blushes, saying "I'm self conscious about it. People would ask me how I got it..."

"Like I did when he showed it to me" tosses in Ren.

"And seeing as I can't even remember THAT, I try my best to keep it hidden away from everyone."

"Like how you kept secret the fact your dad was dead?" asked Nora.

"Yeah, sorry about that" said Jaune.

Ren reaches out and places a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be. We all have things we don't like talking about. Even with close friends or family, right Nora?" Nora nods as the waiter arrives with more food.

"All I know about my back scar is from what Joy told me. She said I got it saving some girl from a Grimm though she doesn't know the details beyond that." After a pause to take a bite from his plate and taking a drink, he ask "Anyways, enough about that. How are you liking the tour so far."

"This place is great. We should just make home here, Ren" said Nora.

"I agree this place is rather peaceful and filled with beauty. Like the castle. Can't believe we failed to notice that last night."

"Well, it was dark outside and our attentions were on my families home. Anyways, the Palace of Versailles belongs to the old royal family of Vale, or so I was told. I think it was a summer home to them. Nowadays, it's more of a museum than a castle, a relic of better days as they say."

Ren nods, then says "It was rather breath taking. Sorry though for the trouble Nora caused."

"What, I didn't do anything bad" said Nora, looking up from her plate.

"You broke into the display case holding the royal regalia, crown, and scepter. Then you sat upon the royal throne and declared yourself QUEEN of the CASLTE, QUEEN of VALE and that all should bow down before your majesty" said Jaune, trying to be serious but unable to repress a small grin.

"But I am Queen of the castle. No one can deny it" said Nora, making both Jaune and Ren laugh at her. She laughs as well before they return to they're lunch. After finishing and paying the waiter, they begin to walk back towards the Arc home.

"So what now?" asked Nora.

"Well, unless there's anything else you guys want to check out, we should head back. My mom is suppose to be getting back within the next few hours and I'd like to finish reading my journal before her return and the...TALK...that will follow" said Jaune.

"I'm fine" said Ren, getting a nod from Nora. "We need to do some training to keep our skills from getting rusty. Would it be alright if we use the training room?"

"Sure, so long as Nora promises to NOT destroy the room in the process" said Jaune.

"I make no promises" said Nora, laughing at that while Jaune and Ren just sweat drop.

"Master Arc" comes a voice in urgency from behind them, making Jaune turn around. Ren and Nora also turn and see a man dressed in a Versailles soldiers uniform come running up to him.

"Mister Roche...he's head of the Versailles security" says Jaune to his team before turning back to the man. "What's the problem?"

"It's bad, Jaune. The niece of mister Pierre has gone missing. Several people saw her running from the village, heading into the La Pasierre forest. It's dangerous in there. Above average Grimm activities as of late. I already have my men out there searching for the girl but I decided to ask you and your sisters for assistance, given your families tracking skills."

"I understand. We'll help in the search" said Jaune.

"We'll go alert your sisters" said Ren, turning and running towards the mansion.

"We'll need our weapons anyways" adds Nora, following him.

Jaune nods before looking back at Roche. "We'll find her before its to late, I promise." Roche nods as he turns and heads off to join the search. Jaune follows till they had passed the main gate. He then breaks, taking his own chosen path into the forest.

After a few minutes, Jaune stops and looks around, yelling "Hey, Pierre's niece...who's name I forgot to ask for, are you out here?" There was no reply. He keeps moving till his eyes spot a broken twig on the ground. Kneeling down and examining it, he can pick up trace amounts of an Auraprint upon it, meaning it had been broken recently. As he keeps going, he keeps calling out to the girl.

"...help..." he hears someone cry, making him stop. "Hello?" he yells out. After a moment, he hears the cry for help again. "Keep shouting" he yells loudly. "So I can find you." The cries for help continue and after a few moments more, he determines where its coming from and runs in that direction. He knew he was getting closer as the cries were getting louder. Soon, he spots a hole ahead of him and stops before it, peeking inside and seeing a girl a good twenty feet down, sitting on the ground.

"Hey, are you mayor Pierre's niece?" asked Jaune.

"Yes, I fell down this hole and hurt my leg" was her reply.

"Hold on, I'll be right down" says Jaune, preparing to jump down.

"Wait, don't jump" she says, stopping him. "I'm in some sort of cave. There's nothing for you to climb back out on nor can I see any path that could lead to an exit."

"Understood, but I still need to get you out of there" said Jaune, looking around in the hopes of seeing something he could use as a rope.

"To the north...I saw an old abandoned cabin" yells the girl.

"Just stay here. I'm go check it out. Hopefully, there'll be something there I can use" says Jaune, preparing to run to the cabin.

"Of course I'll stay here. Where else am I going to go?" asked the girl, sounding annoyed.

Jaune deadpans, saying "Oh yeah, good point." He then runs to the north, soon seeing the cabin come into view. Arriving, he finds he needs to kick the door in so he could enter. Looking around, he spots some rope as well as a wood cutters ax. Grabbing the rope, he heads back to the girl. "Here, grab onto this and tie it around your waste" he says, dropping one end of the rope down the hole.

After a few moments, she shouts out "OK, I'm ready." Jaune then grips his end with all his might and hauls her up. After a minute, the girl was out of the hole and Jaune took hold of her. She then hugs him, saying "Thank you. I thought no one would ever find me."

"Sure thing" he says, helping her to sit on the ground. "So, are you hurt anywhere besides the leg?"

"Only my leg" she said. "Twisted it when I fell."

"Your Aura hasn't healed it yet?" he asked.

"My Aura hasn't been unlocked yet. Mom said I have to wait three more years, until I turn fifteen, before she'll unlock it" said the girl.

"That's a little weird, no offense" said Jaune.

"That's what I said but she says that's how its done in our family. Don't understand why though."

"Well, would you be against me unlocking your Aura now for you? It's either that or I carry you back to the village" said Jaune who then realizes something about her. Looking at her, really looking at her, he realizes she looked a lot like Ruby, but with red hair with a little bit of black highlights along the tips.

"That's fine with me. Glad someone is willing to do it, even if it is under these circumstances" said the girl.

Jaune nods as he reaches out, placing one hand on her cheek and the other over her heart, making her blush. "You're not trying to cop a feel are you?"

Jaune blushes and stammers, making her laugh and says "Just joking. I know how this works."

Jaune clears his head and tries to remember the words Pyrrha had used for him...

 _ **(memory 3 start)**_

"OK then, I'm going to release your Aura. Once your Aura is fully awakened, that booboo of yours should hopefully go right away and you'll find yourself becoming stronger" said Jaune.

"Will it hurt?" asked Ruby.

Jaune shakes his head, saying "Didn't when I had my Aura unlocked by my dad so it shouldn't hurt you. Are you ready?" Ruby nods as Jaune reaches out and places one hand on her cheek and the other over her heart. "Let's see if I remember the words" he says before closing his eyes.

" _Oh virtuous heart, oh innocent light,_

 _walking hand in hand, we shall we brave the night_

 _And through this bond, thus shall you be_

 _a beacon of hope for all to see_

 _Then shall your Aura shines bright and true_

 _as our souls connect us, me and you"_

Jaune opens his eyes and smiles from seeing the glow of her Aura around her body; red as her cloak. He looks down at her leg, seeing an especially bright glow coming from under the scarf wrapped around her ankle.

 _ **(memory 3 end)**_

As the memory of that moment plays in Jaune's mind, the girl begins to glow as her Aura is released, shining like gold, surrounding her body. She smiles at him, saying "Thank you, I feel more...complete somehow."

Jaune nods as he stands, saying "That just means your Aura has been fully awakened, Ruby."

"Ruby? Who's Ruby? My name's Rosa" said the girl.

Jaune blinks, realizing he had indeed just called her Ruby. Furthermore, the reason he had said Ruby's name was because, as he finished the chant and had looked at her, he had seen child Ruby standing in her place. It then dawns on him he had remembered another memory, short though it may have been and the chant he had used was different from the one Pyrrha had used for him. No, this chant was one that was used by his family for unlocking Aura.

 _'So, it was me who unlocked Ruby's Aura originally. Who would have thought it'_ he thinks, smiling a little. Jaune then recalls Rosa's question to him. "Sorry, unlocking your Aura just reminded me of a good friend of mine, a girl named Ruby Rose. I unlocked her Aura back when we were kids. Truth is, you kind of look like her."

"Oh, I see" said Rosa. She then repeats Ruby's name quietly to herself several times. "Her name is similar to mine. Oh, guess I should fully introduce myself. Rosa Rubicana, niece to mayor Pierre Delbleu."

"Rosa Rubicana, huh?" said Jaune, making Rosa nod. _'Rosa Rubicana, Rose Rubi...basically, Ruby Rose backwards with a few additional letters?'_ Jaune deadpans, saying "That has to be a joke?"

"What's that suppose to me?" asked Rosa, placing her hands against her waste.

"Nothing, never mind" he says, waving her question off. A thought hits him. "By the way, you aren't planning on attending an academy like Beacon are you? And do you read weapon magazines?"

"That's my plan, assuming I can talk mom into letting me. I'm secretly being trained for becoming a huntress by Joy Arc." That makes Jaune sigh, thinking _'Why am I not surprised?'_ "As for weapon mags? Of course, I love reading them. Especially as it well help me decide how to build my weapon."

 _'She's a Ruby'_ thought Jaune though he had to admit he found that humorous. All she needed now was the clothes and the obsessive love for eating cookies and she'd be set.

"So, what about you? What's your name? I feel like I should know from somewhere" said Rosa.

"Huh? Oh, right. I'm Jaune, Jaune Arc. Name's short, sweet, and rolls of the tongue. Ladies love it" he said though he quickly smacks himself mentally, having sworn to himself he'd never introduce himself like that again as it didn't make for a good first impression, especially with girls.

Rosa gives him an incredulous look for a second before her eyes go wide. "Oh, I thought you looked familiar. Your Joy's runaway twin, aren't you?" She then gives him a sly grin. "She's told me all about you, Jauney."

"I can imagine" said Jaune, not sure if he wanted to know what his twin has said about him. "Forget that, wanna tell me why you came out here to begin with. I was told these woods are currently off limits do to Grimm sightings."

"I know, but I just had to come in here. I saw a rare Blue Dust Butterfly and I just had to catch it. Ya know, to add to my collection." She then blushes, saying "I like to collect butterfly's. It's sort of a hobby of mine to be honest."

"A Blue Dust, huh? Wait, that reminds me..."

 _ **(memory 4 start)**_

"Why'd you run off, little red? You had your sister freaking out, to say nothing of me."

"I'm sorry, I saw a Blue Dust and I couldn't help but follow it and...and" Ruby was on the verge of crying again until Jaune hugged her.

 _ **(memory 4 end)**_

Jaune shakes his head again though he can't help but smile. _'She really is a Ruby. I don't know how I should feel about that.'_

"By the way, I didn't know you could unlock someone's Aura without saying a chant?" said Rosa.

"Huh? What do you...mean..." Jaune, in that moment, came to a realization. He hadn't actually done the chant when he had awakened Rosa's Aura. Instead, he had been remembering the day he had unlocked Ruby's and the memory of that moment had been so strong, so powerful, the memory alone had been enough to do the job. "I guess I..."

A sudden sound stops his reply. Tremors along the ground makes him become alert. "Rosa, is your leg feeling better?"

Rosa was already standing, having also heard the sound and feeling the tremor. "Yes..." she said, her voice shaky. She moves closer to Jaune as they both see a shape moving through the trees. Jaune guides her to being at his back as the Grimm emerges and begins to move towards them.

"Then get ready to run" said Jaune, his voice serious. Before them was an Ursa Major, an especially big one at that. It stands on its hind legs, fully cloaking them in shadow as it bellows, then falls back to the ground, creating enough force to knock both off balance.

"Don't worry, I've taken on Grimm more dangerous than this" said Jaune though that didn't fill him with much confidence, seeing as he had his team backing him up during those moments. He goes to grab Crocea Mors but finds both it and its sheath missing. Blinking, he glances to his side, finding both gone. He then remembers returning them to the Vault.

"Ha ha ha...ah crap" he laughs nervously as the Ursa Major jumps at them. Jaune turns, pulls Rosa into his embrace then jumps both of them clear as the Ursa lands on the spot they were standing at just moments before.

"You OK?" asked Jaune, already getting up then helping her up. Rosa nods before they both turn their attention back to the Ursa. "Listen, I'm going to go distract our friend here. When I give you the word, run as fast as you can back to the village."

"What? You're crazy" said Rosa. "You can't take something that BIG on by yourself, especially without even a weapon to fight it with."

"It'll be alright. I've taken on worse Grimm than this guy in the past" said Jaune. _'Though to be fair, I had a weapon and shield...and my team...who did most of the heavy lifting...geez, I must be crazy.'_

As the Ursa begins to move towards them, Jaune does his best to smile confidently, even if that confidence was false. "Look, I'll be fine. Besides, the sooner you get back to Versailles, the sooner you can send help to back me up."

"I...OK, I understand" said Rosa as Jaune scoops up some rocks, pine cones and walnuts. He then chucks a rock, smacking the Ursa right between its eyes. While likely not even feeling it, the growl it lets out clearly shows it wasn't amused by the action.

Jaune then breaks away from Rosa, the Ursa moving to keep him within its eye sight. He chucks several more rocks and walnuts at it, making it give chase. "Now Rosa, GO" he yells. Rosa hesitates for only a moment before turning and running as fast as her legs could move. Another memory came upon him as he told her to run.

" _RUN" he yelled, grabbing onto little Rudy's hand. She returns his grip as they race through the forest, hearing the sound of the Abnormal as it gives chase._

For a second, the Ursa turns its attention to Rosa, her fears acting as a magnet for it. "Hey, eyes over here" yells Jaune, throwing the rest of the items in his hands at it. _"STAY AWAY FROM HER" he roars at the Abnormal, causing its body to freeze before it could attack Ruby._ This makes the Ursa look back at him. After a second, it charges him and Jaune quickly turns, running opposite the direction Rosa was running.

As Jaune runs, glancing back ever few moments to see how far back the Ursa was to him. To his annoyance, it was closer than he liked. So much so he would need to either jump, dodge, or roll to avoid its swipes and lunges. And, as he ran, he found his mind recalling more memories from those forgotten days.

 _Ruby, due to her short legs and her lack of training, was already starting to slow down from exhaustion. He knew she wasn't use to this sort of thing so he stops long enough to kneel down. "Quick, I'll carry you piggy back style." Ruby does as he says without hesitation and he continues running. "How can you keep running so fast while carrying me?" she asked._

" _It's thanks to my Aura, little red. Our Aura's can not only heal lesser injuries, it can also protect us from weak attacks and boost the strength in our arms and legs, letting us run faster, jump higher, and so on."_

"Right, we can do that with Aura too" says Jaune, already sending more Aura into his legs, finding his speed becoming just a tiny bit faster. The Ursa was no longer gaining on him but it was still able to keep up. For the moment, their speed was even though Jaune knew this wouldn't keep forever.

 _'I need to get a weapon. But how...wait?'_ Jaune recalls the abandoned cabin, where he had found the rope. There had also been a wood cutters ax. While hardly a fitting weapon for slaying Grimm, maybe it could at least help him defend and counter its attacks till help arrived. Adjusting his direction, he begins to run in the direction of the cabin; the Ursa hot on his heels.

" _Go left, pukey. I know this road. It'll lead us to Patch" said Ruby. He was already making the turn as he says "Works for me." The Abnormal Beowolf appears before them, making him say "Well figs" before turning and running down the opposite route._

Jaune sees the cabin coming into view, then looks back and sees the Ursa was gaining on him, either it was now pushing itself to move faster or he had started to slow down without realizing it. Regardless, it was now to close for him to have enough time to run inside and grab the ax. He then has another idea. He keeps running till he reaches the front door, then spins around to face the Ursa. The Grimm then leaps forward, going to pounce Jaune who then jumps to the side, letting the Grimm crash into the cabin, bringing the whole structure falling down on top of it. As Jaune picks himself off the ground, he looks back and sees no sign of movement.

"Well, he certainly knew how to bring the...'cabin' down" says Jaune with a smirk. A second later, he smacks his head. "Dammit, that was a bad pun. A YANG tier pun at that." He felt so ashamed of himself for saying it, for even thinking of it. He shakes his head before looking at the destroyed cabin.

Jaune doubted that would have killed the Ursa, given how big it was and all. Maybe, if he was lucky, it would have stunned it for a few moments. He then realizes he was still standing still, not taking the chance to run while the chance was there. He turns to run, only for a deep growl coming from behind him makes him stop and look back. The Ursa was already beginning to pull itself out and would likely be after him again in just a moment. That's when Jaune sees the glint of metal; the ax, which had been on the Ursa's back, had fallen off onto the ground. "I'm going to regret this..." he says to himself as he runs towards the Ursa, grabbing the ax as it finished freeing itself. Jaune then gives himself a few feet as it turns its attention back to him again, its red eyes now glowing like fire, a very bad sign that meant the Grimm was very angry. Well, whatever the disposition Grimm had that could be considered being angry that is.

 _He then raises his left sleeve of his hoodie, revealing a bracelet. He taps the ball on it, causing it to fold out into a shield. He then twist the knob on the metal cylinder, making it open and produce a sword blade. He hears Ruby yell "Wow, that's really cool, pukey."_

 _He then charges the Abnormal Beowolf, dodging and blocking its attacks while slashing away at it, even managing to take out its left eye. He could hear Ruby cheering for him; both that and his success so far making him cocky. A dangerous mindset for a child to have in a situation like this._

 _As he goes for another strike, hoping to finish blinding it, the Abnormal delivers a surprising kick, sending him flying and knocking the sword from his hand. He lands on his stomach and tries to get up but the Abnormal was on him with lightning speed, slashing at his back, cutting deep. He barely heard Ruby cry out his name over his own scream._

Jaune grips the handle of the ax as the Ursa approach's him. Jaune takes several steps back before deciding to try going on the offensive. What's the worst that could happen? "OK, Yogi, here's your pick-nick basket" Jaune yells, charging the Ursa, going in to bury the ax as deep into its skull as he could. As Jaune jumps, wanting to put both his full weight and a little boost from gravity into the chop, the Ursa just stands there, likely confused why this creature it had been chasing was now fighting back.

Jaune sends the ax slamming down hard, hoping to at least cause some form of injury. Instead, the contact between the armored head of the Ursa and the ax causes the weapon to snap in half, like using a twig to hit the ball in a game of baseball. Jaune lands on his feet, looking at the stump that use to be the ax. The Grimm also looks at him, probably thinking "That was it?", assuming they think that is.

Jaune laughs nervously then says "Um...sorry?" The Grimm's response was to send Jaune flying with a strike from its powerful claws. The hit had left him stunned, laying face down on the ground. The Ursa's shadow coming over him makes him snap out of his trance and he turns his head to see it, rising itself onto its hind legs, showcasing it full height. It bellows loudly, making the ground shake.

 _'So this is how it ends then?'_ Jaune closes his eyes, accepting his fate when he hears a whistling sound, quickly followed by the sound of electrical surges filling the air. Opening an eye, he sees the Ursa stumble back as bolts of lightning race across its body. _'What happened?'_ he wondered.

" _I'LL SAVE YOU, JAUNE!" he heard Ruby scream. Moments later, the Abnormal howls in pain as its body jerks back and forth, letting him see Ruby on its back, her hands gripping his sword which had been embedded deep enough that the guard was touching its back. Ruby then looses her grip and is sent flying, landing next to her mothers grave._

Jaune looks around, trying to find the source of the attacker. He then sees the person, standing on the branch of a tree, holding a bow in her hands. Her red hair blowing in the wind. He didn't need to see her face to know who she was though. Her weapon give her identity away to him.

"MOM" yelled Jaune.

Camille Arc didn't respond, her attention focused solely on the Ursa as she presses a button, making the color of her bow shift to being a pale blue/white. By now, the electrical surges across the Ursa's body had stopped and it had turned its attention towards her. Pulling back on the string, a dust arrow forms glowing the same pale blue/white color. She then releases the arrow, hitting the ground between the Ursa's feet. Immediately, the lower half of its body, along with the surrounding ground, is covered in ice. She then jumps down from the tree and begins to walk towards the Ursa while it tries to break itself free.

 _He crawled along the ground as fast as he could despite the injury, reaching Ruby as the Abnormal finally found itself able to move again. He then positions himself on top of her, trying his best to act as a shield to protect her. "...Jaune, I...I tried..." He gives her a smile, saying "I know. You were amazing, Ruby. Just like those heroes in the fairy tales." They hear the Abnormal growl angrily as it raises its claws up, clearly intending to finish them both right her and now._

" _Jaune..." he heard her cry._

" _I'll protect you..." he said, panting words filled with pain that were barely above a whisper. "I swear...I'll always protect you..."_

 _She hugs him, saying "Jaune...me too...I'll protect you too."_

The bow shifts to a new color, now glowing a fiery red. Camille forms a new crimson dust arrow, aiming it at the Ursa head. The Grimm, looking at her, gives her a stone glare as it opens its mouth to growl, only to get an arrow shot down its throat. A moment later, the arrow explodes inside the Ursa's body, taking both its head and upper body with it while the rest of the body collapses, already disintegrating. Camille the reverts her bow into its staff form before slinging it against her back. She then begins to walk towards Jaune who was getting back onto his feet.

"Wow mom, that was...awesome. I didn't know your bow could do..."

Jaune's words are cut off as Camille slaps him, HARD, leaving a red mark on his cheek. "Damn it, Jaune. Just what were you thinking? Trying to face a Grimm without a weapon. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Jaune looks away, unable to look at her, at the anger in her eyes. "Sorry mom, I didn't...I mean, I..." His words are stopped as he feels her wrap him into a tight hug.

"When I saw you on the ground, with that Ursa standing over you, I thought I had lost you too. Just like your father" said Camille, her voice gentler sounding now; sadder and worried. "Please don't make me feel that scared again, you understand me, baby?"

Jaune was at a loss for just a second before hugging his mother back. "I know. I'm sorry, mom. I won't scare you like that again."

She chuckles, saying "Never make a promise you can't keep, Jaune." After a moment, she breaks the hug and takes a step back. "Well, let me take a look at you. Hurt anywhere?"

Jaune shakes his head. "Just bruised a little from when it sent me flying...and my pride. Sorry I tried taking it on without a weapon. I didn't expect to be fighting Grimm when I took my teammates on a tour of Versailles. How did you find me anyways, mom?"

"You can thank Rosa for that. I ran into her as she exited the forest. After she told me what was going on, I rushed to back you up. Thankfully, I actually have some GOOD tracking skills unlike your dad."

After a pause, Camille says "Well, we better head back and let everyone know you're fine. While we walk, you can fill me in everything that's happened since you decided to run off to Beacon."

"Right" says Jaune. "Well...um, sorry about that, by the way..." Jaune then begins to fill his mother in on everything, leaving no detail unchecked. As they reach the main gate of Versailles, Jaune says "..and so I decided to come home, seeing as I had nowhere else to go. Ren and Nora came with me as they didn't even have a home waiting for them to return to."

"I see..." says Camille, lost in thought. "You had to deal with so much, a lot of which was due to your lack of being prepared for attending Beacon. I'm sorry about your partner, by the way. I'm sure this Pyrrha was...something special."

"Yeah, she was..." said Jaune.

"So, mind telling me how you even got into Beacon to begin with, Jaune. They don't just let anyone in, you know" asked Camille.

"Well, it started the day before I left home. You had sent me out on an errand, forget what for. That when I ran into this guy. Black pants, gray colored fancy shirt. Red scarf, black hair with gray steaks, kind of scruffy looking face..."

"Was his name Qrow by any chance?" asked Camille.

"Yeah, I think that's his name. He's Ruby and Yang's uncle, I learned that much about him after we had to escape from Beacon" said Jaune. "Anyways, he sold me some fake transcripts, told me I would need to leave by morning if I wanted to make it into Beacon. I asked him why he would sell this to me? He said he liked the feel I gave off or something. Felt I could become something great."

"Or...it was because Ozpin sent him here to give you your transcripts" said Camille, taking Jaune by surprise. "Yes, I knew the truth all along though not till after you had left. Jaune, didn't you ever find it odd I never once came to Beacon to bring you back home?"

"I never really thought about it" said Jaune. "Was to busy dealing with being a team leader and trying to bridge the VERY wide gap in skill between myself and my friends. Why DIDN'T you ever come for me?"

Camille sighs. "It was because Qrow had left me a message, one I received the day you left us. It was written by Ozpin, explaining what was going on. He'd made a promise to your father to bring you into Beacon when the time came. Those transcripts weren't fake, Jaune. Just unofficial due to you not having attended a proper training school like Signal. While my first reaction was to indeed come and drag you back home, I realized I had been holding you back. Keeping you safe at home to stay my fears of losing you like I did your father. I felt the time had finally come for you to follow your dreams so I stayed away. Also, I didn't want to embarrass you in front of your friends either."

"Besides..." Camille adds. "...do you really think a a place like Beacon Academy would be so lax as to let just anyone in? Each and every transcript is numbered and designated to be given to a specific person. It's impossible for anyone to just FAKE their way in, no matter how good a forgery it is as the headmaster himself must personally sign his name to each transcript and even uses a special ink pen that can infuse his Aura into the ink to act as a seal of proof."

"So I didn't really fake my way in...I was chosen to be there all along" said Jaune, getting a nod from his mother. "That actually makes me feel better about that now."

They then enter the village and Jaune decides to tell his mother he had found the missing journal and had regained some memories. He needed her to know this as he needed her to tell him why she had kept him on such a short leash all these years. Why had she not allowed him to train or even unlock his Aura or, re-unlock his Aura that is?

"Mom, why..."

"JAUNE" cried Rosa, coming into view. Before Jaune could react, she had ran into him, hugging him tightly. "You're OK."

"Yeah, thanks to my mom here" said Jaune. After a moment, Rosa breaks the hug.

"Were you waiting for us, Rosa?" asked Camille.

"Yes, Mrs. Arc" said Rosa. "I wanted to make sure Jaune was OK and I wanted to thank him for everything he did back there. Jaune..." Rosa looks away, blushing, before looking back at Jaune and says "You're my hero."

Jaune blushes as well as he scratches the back of his head, embarrassed. "Not really. I just did what anyone would have done. Still, I'm glad you're safe."

"ROSA?" comes a voice.

"That's my mom" said Rosa, sheepishly. "I'm so going to get grounded. Well, better go face the music. Bye Jaune, bye Mrs. Arc" said Rosa as she runs off but stops and looks back. "By the way, Jaune?"

"Yeah?"

"I remember Joy telling me you were looking for a girlfriend. If you can give me a few years, I'd be happy to take the job" said Rosa before waving goodbye and heading off to join her mom.

Jaune just stands there dumbfounded as Camille walks up and ruffles his hair. "Hm, looks like the old Arc charm is alive and well after all. That's my little lady killer..."

"MOM!"

A few minutes later, Jaune had regained his composure from that little event. "Say mom, I've been wondering. Why didn't you train me or even allow me to train at all after I woke up from my coma? I can get the why for the first few months, given I was getting back into the swing of things. But why for all those years? Why didn't you even awaken my Aura or let me attend a training school?"

Camille was silent, so Jaune adds "I have my missing journal. The one that I was writing when dad took me with him to Patch, the one that I was working on up until the day before my 'accident.' Furthermore, I've even been remembering things from that trip to Patch, like meeting Ruby, Yang, and their dad. And when I was helping Rosa and fighting that Grimm, I remembered I had been training with dad and even had my Aura unlocked at the time..."

As Jaune spoke, Camille had come to a dead stop, her face turned towards Jaune, her eyes wide from the surprise. "I know, from the journal entries, I wasn't happy about not having a choice about how I'd live my life, but still..."

"How did you find it?" asked Camille.

"I didn't. Joy did, a few weeks ago while she was rummaging around in the attic or so she told me. She gave it to me this morning and I was able to read a bit of it before taking Ren and Nora out on a sight seeing tour of Versailles."

"And you said you remember..."

Jaune shakes his head. "Not EVERYTHING, just bits and pieces though that's better than nothing. So I'm guessing you did hide it after all. Why mom? Why keep something like that from me? Why didn't you want me to remember?"

"Because I didn't want you to remember THAT incident, Jaune. Don't think I didn't agonize over my choice. I had nothing against you recalling Patch, meeting Tai's little girls, or the rest. I honestly had hoped you would be able to on your own accord over time, without the journal."

"By THAT incident, you mean the head injury that, as Joy would put it, scrambled my brains?" asked Jaune, getting no reply. "So I guess my suspicions were right after all. You...everyone has been lying to me about what happened that day. I mean, I always had my doubts, seeing as I could never feel a scar whenever I ran my fingers through my hair and everyone always said it happened in different spots."

"Jaune..."

"Mom, please, no more lies and secrets. I want to know what happened to me, what REALLY happened. I need to know, I deserve to know."

"Jaune..." she says again, a little louder this time.

"MOM, I'm NOT a kid no more. You can't keep protecting me forever and..."

"JAUNE" said Camille, her voice hard, scary. It was enough to make him jump. After a moment, Camille sighs and she rubs her temples. "...You're right, you're right, Jaune. Maybe it is time we talked about this. Before that though, how far have you gotten with reading the journal?"

"Not far, only to the point where Ruby went missing and I was using the tracking skills dad taught me to find her...or maybe I should say yours. Can't quite remember who taught me what, ya know" said Jaune, trying to laugh.

"OK, once we're back inside, return to your room and continue reading. See if you can recall anything else, awaken any more memories. Tonight, after dinner, come join me in the study. I'll explain everything then, as best I can. Maybe then you'll understand why I did what I did with you."

"Why not now?" asked Jaune.

"Because there's a few things I need to find in order to properly explain things to you...and to prepare myself as I never planned on telling you...well, about the truth" said Camille. "Hopefully, you'll understand why when we're finished too."

"MOM, JAUNE...I HEARD WHAT HAPPENED" yells Joy, coming into view. She was running towards them. As soon as she arrives, without missing a beat, sends a punch slamming hard into Jaune's gut, sending him falling to the ground, hacking and coughing. "You idiot, I heard you tried to fight a Grimm without a weapon. What were you thinking?"

Camille deadpans, saying "I already went over this with him, Joy. Besides, even I think the punch was a little...excessive, considering he did find and returned Rosa home safely."

Joy places her hands on her hips, saying "That's a matter of opinion, mom."

Jaune, meanwhile, groans and wonders _'Why am I made to suffer? Why...?'_

After Jaune managed to pick himself up, he retired to his room and spent the remainder of the afternoon and early evening reading through the rest of his journal. As he suspected, the memories that had made themselves known during his meeting Rosa and fighting the Grimm were indeed from his time in Patch. He also confirmed the scar on his back came from the Abnormal as well.

A few more bits and pieces of memories also returned to him as he read as well. First was waking up at the Xiao Long home and learning Ruby was fine and him telling his father he was finally ready to begin training, he wanted to train now as he had made a promise to Ruby and while he already knew Arc's also kept their promises once made, this promise in particular was extra important to him though he didn't understand why though. He still didn't at present to be honest.

Another memory was a fair bit more embarrassing to him as Yang had...well, she "rewarded" him for saving Ruby from the Abnormal. Immediately after, she ran from the room only to poke her head back through the door and screamed "AND FOR THE RECORD, I DID NOT ENJOY THAT ONE BIT!" His dad had laughed harder than he had ever been known to laugh while Mr. Taiyang was a little more mute on what he thought about that. Ruby had chased after Yang and he had heard her say "Wasn't that my job? That's how its done in the stories, right?" Or at least that's what his mind assumed anyways seeing as Yang's "reward" had left his brain locked up, unable to process any thought or emotion other than total confusion.

The last memory from the trip he had recalled, at present, was his saying goodbye to Ruby and Yang with the promise he'd see them again with his father adding "Sooner than you might think." He didn't know what he meant by that though. As they walked off, he and Ruby both reaffirmed their earlier proclamations to one another; that they would always protect each other, no matter what.

That last bit had comforted his heart, momentarily easing the pain and grief he had been feeling for the last few days. But the pain soon came back as he moved forward, reading the rest till he had finished the entry set on the day before his accident. He prepares to close the journal but decides to turn the page, curious as to if he might have started writing something on THAT day? He didn't find any writings but instead something more important; a photo. Taking the picture in hand, he smiles as he sees himself, Yang, and Ruby from back then. This had clearly been taken during the trip to Patch and they looked so happy and carefree...well, he and Ruby did. Yang had a scowl on her face though he had a hunch she was just as happy though even if she wasn't showing it.

Closing the journal and placing it on the table beside his bed, he continues to look at the photo for a few more moments before using his free hand to grab his Scroll. Opening it, he finds no missed calls or messages for him. No matter as he opens the contact page and sees Ruby's name and face pop up. While he still wasn't sure if she had awakened yet or not, now was as good a time as any to find out.

"JAUNE, DINNER'S READY" yelled Drusilla.

Jaune sighs as he closes the Scroll. Maybe it was a little late to be calling now. Tomorrow, he promised himself. He'd call, no matter, what tomorrow. For now, right now, there was something he needed to learn and in order to do that, he needed to get dinner out of the way. Thirty minutes later, and some drama born from a little "debate" had between Nora and Amelia, Jaune had finished cleaning his dishes and was now standing outside the study.

Jaune takes a deep breath before entering the room, finding his mother sitting beside a table on the far side of the room. "So, have you finished the journal, Jaune?"

"Yeah, just in time for the dinner call."

"And...did you remember anything else?" asked Camille.

"A couple of things, all related to the trip."

Camille nods then motions for him to take the chair opposite him. Once he was sitting, and a moment of silence, Camille finally began. "Like I told you before, I never planned on talking about this with you...but it seems I'll need to. Anyways, before that, tell me. Can you remember the reason why your dad took you with him to Patch?"

"Yeah, I've been able to remember that bit for a few years though it never occurred to me that the Patch we went to was the same Patch Ruby and Yang called home. Dad told me it was because I had never been anywhere outside Versailles before and he felt the trip would be a nice change of pace for me. He also hoped I would become friends with Mr. Xiao Long's kids as I wasn't exactly swimming with friends around here back then" said Jaune. He then laughs and says "To be honest, the me back then felt the real reason dad was taking me was so he could keep me doing all that training of his."

"Well, there was that TOO" says Camille, also giving the thought a chuckle. "But there was another reason, one he didn't tell you about till after the trip. I'm guessing you haven't remembered that yet?"

"Nothing's coming to mind" said Jaune.

"Well, he was also going there in order to register you to start attending Signal when the next semester started. His introducing you to the Xiao Long's was also meant to help you get comfortable with them as you would have been living with them during your schooling at Signal."

"Huh? Wait..." Jaune thinks back to earlier, when he had been reading his journal. "I think I remember reading about that in my journal. So that's what I was talking about."

"You would have been schoolmates with Yang, I believe as she was also joining when the next semester began" adds Camille, though Jaune was to lost in thought to hear her.

 _'So I would have been staying with them while school was going on. Heh, bet Yang would have LOVED that. Well, I know Ruby would have based on what I can recall and what I had written. She even had me take over reading those fairy tale stories for her before bed. Not sure if Yang was fine with that though?'_

"Jaune?" came Camille.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Lost in thought" said Jaune. "Anyways, you were saying?"

"Well, over the next four months, you trained like a madman, so much so that it scared some of your sisters who were use to you half-assing yourself all the time. The others found that encouraging, mainly Charity. _Heh heh,_ Joy was convinced you were some sort of imposter what with the way you acted. Sadly, those happy days came to an end." Camille goes silent as the air in the room becomes more ominous.

"Jaune, before I tell you the truth, know that a lot on what had been told to you was indeed true. Me and your father had been out, aiding the village guard in dealing with a sudden outbreak of Grimm that had appeared on our side of the border between Vale and Vacuo. Due to Versailles location and proximity to said border, there was a very likely chance those Grimm would attack Versailles."

"At the time, both Dru, Amelia, and Esther were away, attending a girls only training school for Huntress's. Think a fusion of Signal and Beacon combined, just a bit more exclusive. And Beth was also away, visiting your aunt Anne-Marie so we left you and Joy here, in charge of keeping an eye on both Mary and Charity. Little could any of us have imagined that the sudden appearance of Grimm the the border was a diversion meant to pull us away, making you vulnerable."

"Make ME vulnerable?" Jaune didn't like the sound of that. "What happened?"

Camille shakes her head. "Obviously, me and your father weren't here so all the details I can offer are what we were told by Joy, Mary, and Charity. The three of you were out back; you and Joy having a little sparring session while Mary and Charity watched from the sidelines. It was then four men, dressed in armor that resembled the bodies and faces of Grimm appeared. You told Joy to stay back and protect the others while you took them on, not that you had a choice seeing as they had weapons in their hands. You were told to give yourself up to them, in order to avoid needless bloodshed. I guess you didn't believe them."

"From what I was told, you did well in fighting them. Then again, the men had likely been ordered to avoid injuring you by their boss and thus were holding back. It was only when a fifth man arrived, likely the leader of the group, and took your sister hostage that you were forced to give up. Joy said everything then went dark, likely she, Mary, and Charity were knocked out. When they woke up, both you and the men were gone and they went to find help. Once me and your father found out, we searched everywhere for you or at least any sign of your kidnappers."

"So...I didn't injure my head in a training accident. I was kidnapped by a bunch of guys with a thing for dressing like Grimm" said Jaune, Camille nodding. "Who were they?"

"They were known as the Cult of Grimm, a fanatical group who didn't see the Grimm as evil beast. Instead, they believed the Grimm to be of divine origins, sent down to purge the world of the taint of sin that was defiling it. Namely, humans and Faunus. They even believe the source of the Grimm, the so called Lord of Grimm, was a God, the creator of this world. The Cult, perhaps seeking the favor of Grimm Lord, swore themselves to it and, due to this, received its favor. They were given something none have ever been able to get before. Grimm DNA. With that, they began kidnapping people, mainly criminals and the homeless, and using them in experiments, trying to create some sort of human/Grimm hybrid, the perfect being in their eyes. They assumed this would be the only way the "worthy" would survive the Grimm's purging of this world. Of course, their experiments always ended in failure, leaving them with the creatures you know quite well; the Abnormal's."

"So the Abnormal's came from them then?" said Jaune, making his mother nod.

"How Abnormal's got out into the world is unclear. Perhaps they escaped from the Cult or perhaps the Cult let them loose in order to bring more chaos into the world. No one was ever really sure."

"And me? They kidnapped me for the same purpose? To use me in that experiment?" asked Jaune.

Camille shakes her head. "Not exactly, they had different plans for you. To this day, we still don't know how they managed to get it, but they were able to access your secret medical records. Records that should only be known to us, your parents, and a few other select individuals."

"Secret medical reports?" asked Jaune.

"At birth, in addition to the usual medical information, there is a secret medical report, listing the level of your Aura, its elemental affinity, and the frequency it resonates to. Several other details as well but that's the basic gist of it" said Camille.

Jaune nods though he didn't quite understand. _'In a nut shell, stuff you'd rather not have known to the bad guys I take it.'_ "Why did they kidnap ME then? What was it about my secret medial report that made them target ME?"

Camille could only shrug at his question. "Who knows, to be honest. Headmaster Ozpin had a few theories regarding the why but he never shared them with me nor did I ever ask. The fact they had kidnapped you was enough. For months, we searched everywhere for you. And not just us. Many other teams also would seek keep an eye and ear open for anything that could lead us to the Cult, even Qrow Branwen and our old teammates, Senna and Titus, helped as well. And then, finally, after nearly a year had passed, the Cult's base was found in the old defunct kingdom of Mantle by Raven Branwen, Qrow's sister and Yang's biological mother."

"Our old team, Team JSTC, Qrow, Ozpin, Glinda Goodwitch, General Ironwood, and five other teams all came together along with an army of the general's robots and launched a full on assault against the Cult's base. We found ourselves facing countless Abnormal's and Cultist as we search every room for you. We tried to take several of the Cultist prisoner in order to gain information though they would always kill themselves using a Dust-icide pill planted into a tooth. We looked and looked and eventually, we found you. The leader of the Cult was standing before a Beowolf, handing you off to it while behind them was a portal emitting an incredibly strong negative energy. The Beowolf tried to carry you through the portal but Ozpin managed to stop it and save you before it was to late. He then left, telling us he was going to get you back to Beacon in order to try reversing what the Cult had done to you, assuming he could and it wasn't to late. Glynda went with him to cover him as did two of the teams. The rest of us stayed to end the Cult once and for all. Naturally, me and your father wanted to go with Ozpin but we remained to fight. After all, we had some vengeance to bring down on the Cult leader."

"Wait, you said the Cult had done something to me? What did they do?" asked Jaune.

Camille didn't answer. She just closed her eyes for a moment, then reached over to the table and takes hold of an envelope which she then hands to Jaune. "Inside are pictures, taken by Ozpin once he had you back at Beacon, down within his Emerald Chamber, also known as the Vault."

"Been there" said Jaune, recalling being in that room with Ozpin and Pyrrha not to long ago. "More than once apparently."

"Open the envelope, Jaune. You'll understand just how bad it was" said Camille.

Jaune turns his attention to the envelope and opens it, finding several pictures inside. The moment his eyes focused on the top most picture, he almost drops the whole set at what he sees; his eyes wide from the shock. He was laying on a medical bed, naked save for a single sheet covering his modesty. Physically, he looked the same. Not Grimm like appendages to be seen. And yet...

His hair, which had once been blonde, was now a deep purple color. His skin bone white with red vein like lines running across. His vacant eyes were now red irises and black eye ball. His pupils were more angular, slit like in shape. Looking at the other pictures, each showing closer shots of him at different angles, his hands begins to shake. "Wha...what the hell...did they do to me?"

"According to what Ozpin told me, it seems you were the first success the Cult had achieved towards creating the perfect human/Grimm hybrid. The fact the Beowolf the Cult leader was handing you off to seemed to be taking great care with holding you would support that. Furthermore, the portal was likely a gate that would have taken you right to the Lord of Grimm had we not gotten there in time. All I can say is that to this Cult, you weren't just another experiment. You were something more. Something...the source of the Grimm wanted...or had been looking for."

Hearing that makes Jaune shiver. Hearing that scared him. And, for some reason, he remembers the words of the female voice from the nightmare he had woken up from this morning. _'My Inquisitor...'_

"Back to the confrontation with the Cult's leader. We managed to subdue him easy enough, seeing as he was far outnumbered even if he had a few Grimm appear to help him. Strange sight that was, seeing Grimm aiding a human. We thought we had won, we were wrong. The man had a trick up his sleeve. He turned himself into an Abnormal, one unlike any seen before as it was based off a Grimm unknown to us even now. A Grimm we dubbed Gargoyle. He was vicious and unrelenting. Even with all of us there, even with our sheer skill, it took us ten minutes before we had killed it. And our victory came at a high price."

"Dad..." said Jaune, not a question.

Camille nods. "He used his Cover Semblance to shield us from some of the more dangerous attacks and it was your father who landed the killing blow though Gargoyle also got off one final strike, fatally injury your father. He died in my arms. Senna and Titus saw me back home while Qrow and the others stayed to mop up and find any information the Cult might have before burning their base to ashes. After your father's funeral, I planned on going to Beacon but I had received a message from Ozpin, saying he would heal you and bring you home. But it would take time and it was best for me to stay back and take care of your sister's. I would only be in the way. I hated him for saying that but I did as asked, fearing I might do more harm than good by being there, interrupting him and his work."

"After a month of waiting, Ozpin appeared with you by his side. He had undone what had been done to you physically and you were awake but...different. After I had hugged you, for ten minutes straight, Ozpin asked me if we could talk in private so I left you in the care of your sisters and their hugging you to death and took Ozpin to the study, locking the door behind us."

"Ozpin explained to me that your emotionless state was due to the Cult having suppressed all of your memories deep into your mind and, despite his best efforts, he had been unable to draw any back up to the surface. Furthermore, they had been transplanting false memories into you to take the place of your true memories. He had sealed those memories away and told me that perhaps, given time, your old memories could possibly return if given the proper encouragement. Also, he had been forced to seal away your Aura as well as they had been changing it like they had with your memories, turning your Aura from something kind and light to something dark and negative. Sealing up your Aura was the only way it could heal itself. He said that once you turned twelve, it would be safe to unlock your Aura again. He then gave me the pictures and said that if we ever needed anything, just contact him and, when the time came, you would be welcomed to Beacon in order to fulfill your dreams. He would make certain of that."

"After he left, me and your sisters began to do the best we could to help return you to living a normal life, even without your memories. But I made a choice, one I regret now. I decided to keep you here at home, safe from harm. No training, no unlocking your Aura for you again. None of that. That life...the life of a huntsman, the life of a Knight. I didn't want you to live that life, not after losing your father, after nearly losing YOU. I'm sorry Jaune...I know I was just being selfish..."

Camille is stopped as Jaune hugs her tight. "If being selfish means you care about your child and wanting to protect them from all harm forever, then I'm glad you're selfish, mom. Thank you...for everything." Camille allows some tears to fall as she hugs him back. After a few moments more, the hug ends and the pull away from each other.

"So, now you know the truth. What are your plans now, Jaune?"asked Camille.

"I know what I want to do but...I still feel like I'd fail again. Just like I did with Pyrrha..."

"Jaune, failure is something that will always happen. Even for the best of us, no matter how strong or smart or skilled we are, all it takes is the simplest of things to happen to make a success become a failure. No matter how hard you try, you can't save everyone every time. You need to learn to accept that truth. The question you need to ask yourself is this. Can I still keep going, still keep acting and doing and saving even after I fail or will I let my failures weaken me and make me to afraid of even trying?"

Camille then looks at the clock on the wall. She then stands, saying "It's getting late. Jaune, go to bed and sleep on it. Think long, think hard, on what it is YOU really want to do. Move forward despite the failure you suffered or let the failure stop you from moving forward? Once you have your answer, come find me and we'll proceed from there."

Jaune stands as well, asking "Sounds like you already know what choice I'll make?"

Camille gives him a warm smile. "I'm your mother so of course I know. I know you know your answer as well. You just need to believe in your answer..."

After that, Camille had retired for the night. Jaune stayed a few more minutes in the study before returning to his room as well. He then placed the pictures he had been given inside his journal before laying back on his bed. He then spent an unknown amount of time thinking about what he had been told till sleep finally claimed him.

The next thing Jaune knew, he found himself sitting on the ground, his back rest against a wall. It felt familiar to him, somehow. Wait, wasn't this Beacon's cafeteria? _"Do you believe in destiny?"_

The voice made Jaune jump before turning his head to his left, finding Pyrrha sitting beside him. She looks at him and repeats her question. _'Is this a dream? Or a memory?'_ he wondered to himself. Seeing she was still waiting for him to answer, he gives her his honest opinion.

"I'd rather believe in myself and my friends more..."

The Pyrrha beside him smiles as she looks towards the hazy white sky. _"I like that answer...better than the one I gave you."_

Her words makes his eyes widen. "Pyrrha...?"

He suddenly finds himself in another familiar location; Emerald Forest. He was hanging from the tree with Pyrrha's weapon keeping him from falling. He sees her come walking up. _"Sorry, Jaune. It looks like I've caused you such pain."_

"No, that's not true" says Jaune, reaching up and freeing himself. Once back on the ground, he runs towards her only to pass through her. "Pyrrha...you're not real, are you?"

Pyrrha laughs as she turns and walks to him, hugging herself against his back. He couldn't touch her but she seemed to be able to touch him. _"I'm about as real as can be...for a memory or a dream. Honestly, I'm not sure how it is I'm here now but I am, because I needed to be."_

She then pulls away, allowing Jaune to look back at her. _"Jaune, I know you're hurting now, blaming yourself for what happened. You shouldn't though. There was nothing you could have done to stop me. Even if my kiss hadn't left you frozen, unable to stop me from shoving you into that locker, my Semblance could have stopped you from stopping me. And even if you had ran all the way back to the tower instead of calling Ruby and Weiss, there would have been no way for you to get up top to help me. So please, don't keep hurting yourself because of what happened."_

"Pyrrha...I know what you're saying is true, but..."

She shakes her head, saying _'No, no buts Jaune. Besides, you can't keep yourself suffering like this anyways, not when Ruby's going to need you."_

"Ruby? Wait, what about Ruby? What's happened to her?" asked Jaune.

" _Nothing...yet. But she's about to embark on a new mission...by herself no less. Weiss, Blake, Yang, they're all going to be unable to aid her at this time so she plans on going alone. But if she does, she'll..."_

"No, I won't let that happen. I won't allow another person I love die" said Jaune.

Pyrrha smiles. _"Then stop beating yourself up over something you couldn't stop otherwise you'll miss your chance to stop a tragedy you can still stop. I can't tell you the details, Jaune. Only that by being with her when the time comes will save her from suffering the same fate as I. So promise me, promise you'll never stop moving forward."_

"Yeah, I promise. You'd kick my butt otherwise" said Jaune, both he and Pyrrha laughing. The world around them begins to shine brighter as Pyrrha begins to fade. "Do you really have to go already?"

" _I'll always be here, Jaune. Even if you can't see me, hear me, feel me, I'll always be here. Watching over you all."_ As Pyrrha continues to fade, she manages to say one final thing. _"Be warned though. The road ahead will be difficult and filled with pain and hardships. But as long as you remain true to yourself and keep those memories you hold dear in your heart, you'll always remain Jaune Arc..."_

"Wait, what do you mean? What's going to happen?" yelled Jaune as Pyrrha finally faded away and his world went black. When his eyes opened next, he was back in his room, laying on his bed. He groans, still feeling really sleepy. He looks to his clock and sees it was a little past nine in the morning. He wanted to go back to sleep, back to sweet sweet dream land. But there was to much to do. He knew what it was he had to do now, needed to do. And top of that list was a call. Sitting up in his bed, he grabs his Scroll and brings up Ruby's number. "No more waiting for her to call. Please be awake, Ruby." He presses the call option. After two rings, a familiar voice speaks from the other end.

"Jaune?" She sounded nervous.

"Hey, Ruby. You doing OK?" he asked her, his own voice sounding as tired as he felt.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you OK?

"Physically, yeah. But..."

"Jaune...I'm so sorry. I...me and Weiss, we promised we'd save Pyrrha...and..." While he couldn't see her face, he knew she was probably crying from the sound of her voice.

Jaune breath's then said with a soft voice. "It's alright. I know you did your best. I...I should have stopped her. It's my fault she's gone, no one else. If I had just been stronger...had only done what Ozpin told me to do..."

"It's not your fault either, Jaune" he heard her cry into her Scroll. "You did the best you could, we all did. But sometimes...our best just isn't enough."

Jaune smiles at her words. _'Both my mom and Pyrrha agree with you. I know I do too now...'_

"Yeah, I know. Doesn't make it easier to bare though, huh?" He tries to laugh, hoping to make her feel better though his attempt wasn't very good. "Sorry, by the way. I wanted to call you sooner. Wanted to know if you were OK as you were unconscious when I last saw you. But I didn't know if you were awake yet."

He could hear Ruby sigh in relief at his words. "It's OK. I had wanted to call you too...but I was afraid you'd be mad at me..."

"I could never be mad at you. So, how's Yang doing? What about Weiss and Blake?"

Ruby told him what she knew about Weiss and Blake which wasn't much. Yang was as well as could be expected, seeing as she had lost her arm and all and was now going through a depression period. "How are Ren and Nora?" asked Ruby.

"They're both fine. They came with me back to my home in Versailles. After what happened, they've decided to stick to me like glue." Jaune then chuckles, adding "It's actually a little bit annoying to be honest."

He hears Ruby laugh, making him smile. "Say, Jaune..."

"Yeah?"

After a moment, Ruby says "My uncle Qrow let slip some information on the enemy; the ones who attacked Beacon. It looks like there may be a clue to finding them in Haven."

Hearing her words clears his mind of exhaustion. _'Is that what you were warning me about, Pyrrha?'_

"Seriously?"

"I'm planning on going there soon" said Ruby.

"Alone?" asked Jaune, worried, especially after what Pyrrha's ghost or whatever had said to him.

"Don't have much of a choice there. With my sister in her current state and both Weiss and Blake being out of contact, I..."

"I'll come with you" said Jaune, breaking in. _'No way am I letting you do this alone.'_ "Ren and Nora will want to come too."

"Are...are you sure?" asked Ruby.

"I won't let you do this alone, Crater Face. Just tell me when and where and we'll be there."

"Thank you, Vomit Boy. I'm planning on leaving..."

Fifteen minutes later, Jaune was dressed as he walked into the training dojo. According to Bethany, mom was in there doing to drills. Before he could speak, Camille says "So, have you made your choice yet?"

Jaune shakes his head, thinking _'How does she always know?'_ "Mom, I need to start training again. I want to become stronger so that what happened to Pyrrha won't happen again. I know there's no guarantee I could stop it from happening if it does but I won't let doubt hold me down no more."

Camille smiles as she turns to face him, tossing him a training sword and shield in the process. "I knew you'd make that choice. That's why I'll be training you personally now, like I should have been doing from the beginning."

"Thanks, mom" said Jaune, smiling. "There is one problem though."

"Which is?" asked Camille.

"I finally talked to Ruby earlier. She told me she'll be heading to Haven here in about three weeks. I've decided I'll be going with her, to give her support as her team is currently unavailable to do so. So I'll need to get in as much training done as possible within that time limit."

Camille nods as she grabs a sword and shield herself. "Then we better get started. There's a lot I need to train you on, many Arc sword techniques to learn."

"You know all of them?" asked Jaune.

Camille smiles. "Jaune, me and your father were childhood friends. We were on the same team. We were partners. We married and had eight kids. You don't spend all that time with someone and NOT learn everything they themselves know. Keep in mind though you won't have time to master anything I'll be teaching you, just getting the basics of the techniques learned. Mastering them will take months, years even, something you can work towards while with Ruby, Ren, and Nora."

"So where do we begin?" asked Jaune.

"We'll begin at the beginning, obviously. Come at me, show me what you've got. Then we'll see what I need to focus on" said Camille. Jaune nods as he charges her, his training officially underway.

Over the next two and a half weeks, Jaune trained longer and harder than he ever had before, pushing himself more than he thought he would. He sweat, he bled, but most of all, he learned. And he was becoming stronger, smarter, more skilled in the art of combat. Camille wasn't the only one to aid him as his sisters joined in as well. Nora and Ren to, aided him with his training as well as received training from the Arc family to help them evolve their own skills. During his rest time, he would spend time with his sisters and have fun. During the final days, Camille even allowed him to see the family's famous Forging Room, built by his great grandfather, Jonah Arc and used by both grandpa Jack Arc and father Joseph to forge their personal weapons. Soon, the day for departure came.

"Thank you for letting us stay here, Mrs. Arc" said Ren before hugging Camille.

"Thank nothing of it. Both you and Nora are family to us now so feel free to call this place your home from now on" said Camille as she turns her attention to Nora.

"MOMMA" cries Nora, hugging Camille tight. The older woman pats her head lovingly, saying "Be good, keep yourself out of trouble...and please stop trying to crush me to death."

"Oops, sorry" said Nora, breaking the hug. They turns and see Jaune was being hugged to death by Joy who had saved herself for last amongst the sisters in the goodbye hugs.

"Joy, that's enough" said Camille.

Joy keeping hugging Jaune for a few more seconds before letting go. "Don't go getting yourself killed, Jaune. I won't forgive you if you do."

"Deal" he said before moving to Camille. The two hug. "I'll be back mom, I promise. And when I return, you'll see I'll be even stronger."

"I know you will" said Camille before revealing two books, handing them to Jaune.

"What are these?" he asked.

"I've been writing these over the last few weeks. The first contains notes on the Arc families training regiment and technique mastering. Something you'll want to go over often to help you keep progressing with your skills. The other is everything you'll need to know about forging your own weapon one day. Remember what I said the other day, Jaune. Using Crocea Mors, or any other blade forged by an ancestor is all well and good, but that's nothing more than borrowed power. It's only when you're wielding a weapon forged by your own hands will you achieve your true potential and strength. Obviously, we didn't have the time for you to forge your own blade. But one day, you'll return home and when you do, you'll be ready to create YOUR sword and shield."

Camille then pulls Crocea Mors and its sheath from her side and hands it to Jaune. "Until then, continue to use this blade to protect those you care about."

Jaune takes Crocea Mors and hooks it to his belt. "I will, thank you mom." He then turns to Ren and Nora, saying "Well,we better get going. Patch is a few days away and we shouldn't keep Ruby waiting any longer." He teammates nod as they say one final goodbye then begin walking towards the village entrance.

"Jaune?" yells Joy, making him look back. "When you come back home, make sure you bring that Ruby girl with you. You'll need us to approve of her before you can..." She didn't finish as the other six sisters all cover her mouth.

"We'd love to meet her, that's all" yells Drusilla.

Jaune nods before returning his attention to the road ahead. After a few days of travel, they arrive at Patch late in the evening and get themselves a hotel room for the night. Jaune contacts Ruby, letting her know they had arrive and she tells him to meet her at her place in the morning, giving them directions on how to find it though Jaune could sort of remember. After a decent nights sleep, the former team JNPR reach the Xiao Long residence by a little past eight. Only moments after arriving, the front door opens and Ruby steps out.

"Hey" said Jaune, keeping his voice quiet at Ruby's request from their previous talk the night before.

Ruby looks at him, smiling as she says "Hey Jaune." He could tell she was relieved to see him, a feeling he shared. She takes a few steps forward then says "Haven's a long way to go."

"I know. But it's the only lead we have."

"And you're sure you want to come along?" she asked.

Ren answers for them all, saying "The journey will be perilous and whether we'll find the answers at the end is entirely uncertain."

"But we wouldn't be here if we weren't up for it" adds Nora.

Ruby smiles, giving them a nod. "Then lets get started..."

With that, the new team begin their journey. As they walk, Jaune can feel Ruby taking a glance at him. Feels her smiling at him. He allows himself a glance as well, admiring how strong she had become over the years. _'You've done it, Ruby. Becoming just like the heroes in those fairy tales of old.'_ He wondered if she could recall anything from that time? If she would if he said anything? Perhaps one day, once this mission was over, he'd find out. But for now, just being here, with her, in this moment...

It was enough...

 **Jaune's chapter, Fin...**

 **AN: Like I said WAY back at the beginning of this chapter, there will be a few differences between certain things said in the last chapter and this chapter, changes that I'll be going back into chapter 1 in order to correct. What are these changes? Nothing major, just two of them really.**

 **First, while re-reading chapter 1 on FF, I noticed a few error's made, either with word spelling or even certain sentences and what have you. One such error being a paragraph which called back to an action between Jaune and Yang, at the fair grounds, that I ended up changing from the first draft to the released version of the chapter. I going to go back and correct that little error so it connects with what ended up happening.**

 **The other change I'll be making is to the Aura unlocking chant Jaune used to release Ruby's Aura. Originally, I had wanted to use a different chant than the one used by Pyrrha to release Jaune's Aura as I felt that particular chant should remain between them alone. It would be their special thing, ya know. I wanted a chant that could be something special between Jaune and Ruby, their own personal connection. But I was unable to come up with a good one by the time I was ready to release chapter 1 on FF so I just used the Pyrrha chant as a stand in. Since then, I finally crafted a chant I liked and used it here in this chapter. I will be going back to chapter 1 and making the changes and upload the modified chapter within a weeks time (Sept.10 at the latest). While the chant is technically the Arc families Aura chant, I still see it as the bonding chant for Lancaster.**

 **I know I said I would be answering questions with this chapter but it ended up be WAY WAY longer than I was expecting it to be, even longer than chapter 1. Originally, when I began writing this, I figured I have Jaune back home, some minor stuff with family, Ren and Nora, Jaune finding his journal and remembering some of the past (not all as I felt he should need more time than I gave Ruby, just enough of the important things). But as I was writing, I realized there was so much more I needed to cover with Jaune. How Pyrrha's death was effecting him, specifically mentally and emotionally and how he would likely react to her death. That led to needing to get him to regain the drive to pick up the sword and continue on despite what had happened. Then there was the whole thing about why he was never trained nor had his Aura unlocked, or re-unlocked I should say. And more besides I found I needed to cover which made this chapter run longer than expected. Still I think I covered the bases though maybe the stuff with ghost Pyrrha could have been done differently, better? I let you all decide on that one.**

 **Anyways, there WILL be a third chapter to this story as I decided doing one more will be fine. After all, we need to have Jaune and Ruby let each other know they remember their connected past with each other and see what that brings about. Maybe the romance will finally blossom _wink wink_.**

 **So, when will chapter 3 release? Honestly, hard to say as I'm thinking of waiting till Volume 4 begins (on October 22) to see how their relationship has grown after spending 6-8 months traveling together. Now I'm not expecting anything romantic going on between them, I don't think anything like that will even happen till at least Vol.5 or 6, if at all (Vol.4 would feel to soon, especially with the moments that would have led to it happening likely being forced into the time skip period which would take away from those moments). But I would like to see how their friendship has grown over that time and see if there is any hints of romance happening eventually. I don't know, depends on how I feel. Might release the third chapter early October, might wait till after the premiere of Vol.4? Only time will tell.**

 **Again, if you have any questions for me, leave them in your reviews or PM me and I'll answer them in chapter 3.**

 **Any hoot, till next time, nates...**


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